Enrollment
1,391
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Portage, MI
Portage Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Portage Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262895006491
👥 S:T ratio 18
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portage Central High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Portage · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 14.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Portage Central High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portage Central High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Portage, MI.
School address
District: Portage Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262895006491 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portage Central High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portage Central High School
Portage Central High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Portage, Michigan, enrolling 1,391 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.8% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Michigan average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,391 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 97 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Asian (9%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Northern High School (1,194 students) and Portage Central Middle School (719 students) alongside Portage Central High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Portage Central High School compares
Portage Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.5:1 | ▲ 17% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.8% | ▼ 73% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,391 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,391
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 83% in Michigan - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,499
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
84
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 75.1%
Asian 8.6%
Two or More 7.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
African American 3.2%
Largest group: White at 75.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.9, Portage Central High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portage Public Schools, which includes Portage Central High School.
$12,499
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 57.3%
Federal 6.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Portage Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Northern High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portage Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Portage West Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portage North Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moorsbridge Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portage Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,194
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,391 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portage Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Portage Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Portage Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Portage Central High School
How many students attend Portage Central High School?
Portage Central High School has 1,391 students enrolled. It is a high school in Portage, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portage Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Portage Central High School is 20.5:1, which is 17% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Portage Central High School?
14.8% of students at Portage Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portage Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Portage Central High School is White at 75.1% of enrollment, in Portage, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portage Central High School?
Portage Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Portage Central High School rank among high schools in Portage?
By Resource Investment Index, Portage Central High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Portage, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Portage on the city page.
Is Portage Central High School a good school?
Portage Central High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Portage Public Schools?
Besides Portage Central High School, Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Northern High School (1,194 students), Portage Central Middle School (719 students), and Portage West Middle School (717 students). See the Portage Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.