Enrollment
402
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261962008719
South Central Michigan Virtual — Jackson, MI
Federal NCES profile for South Central Michigan Virtual, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 12/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Jackson Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
82.2:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
+352% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Central Michigan Virtual compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Central Michigan Virtual reports 402 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 5.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 82.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 352% above the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 417% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 80.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 49% above the Michigan average and 56% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 402 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 78.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jackson Public Schools spends $22,279 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.8% from local sources (property taxes), 49.8% from the state, and 21.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Central Michigan Virtual compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 82.2:1 | ▲ 352% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.8% | ▲ 49% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 402 | top 59% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
80.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 49% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
82.2:1
students per teacher
— 352% above state mean
Top 99% in Michigan — lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
78.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,279
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 402 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 54 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 402 Top 59% in Michigan — larger than 41% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 5.0
Students per teacher 82.2:1 +352% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 80.8% +49% vs state
NCES ID 261962008719
Student demographics
White 55.5%
African American 21.6%
Two or More 12.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 55.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 402:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 78.1%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 54
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson Public Schools, which includes South Central Michigan Virtual.
$22,279
Per student
+41%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 49.8%
Federal 21.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
Similar other schools in Jackson
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jackson Preparatory Early College
Standard public school
260 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Jackson Isd Local Based Special Education Programs
Special-education school
240 students 3.9:1 students per teacher
Northwest Connect
Alternative education program
157 students 37.8:1 students per teacher
Way East Jackson
Alternative education program
16 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Central Michigan Virtual
How many students attend South Central Michigan Virtual?
South Central Michigan Virtual has 402 students enrolled. It is a other school in Jackson, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Central Michigan Virtual?
The student-teacher ratio at South Central Michigan Virtual is 82.2:1, which is 352% higher than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 417% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Central Michigan Virtual?
80.8% of students at South Central Michigan Virtual are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Central Michigan Virtual?
The largest demographic group at South Central Michigan Virtual is White at 55.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Jackson, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Central Michigan Virtual?
South Central Michigan Virtual has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.