Enrollment
426
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Saint Clair Shores, MI
South Lake High School
Federal NCES profile for South Lake High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 263222006751
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Lake High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Saint Clair Shores · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.5:1
- students per teacher
- 57.9%
- free-lunch eligible
South Lake High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Lake High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Saint Clair Shores, MI.
School address
District: South Lake Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263222006751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Lake High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Lake High School
South Lake High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, enrolling 426 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.9% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 426 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 676 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #231.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and White (17%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 237 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 83.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
South Lake Schools also operates Avalon Elementary School (345 students) and South Lake Middle School (309 students) alongside South Lake 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 South Lake High School compares
South Lake 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.9% | ▲ 7% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 426 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
426
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in Michigan - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
83.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,348
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.8 FTE
Per 237 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
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
African American 73.9%
White 16.9%
Two or More 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: African American at 73.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.2, South Lake High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Lake Schools, which includes South Lake High School.
$14,348
Per student
+6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.4%
State 45.2%
Federal 15.4%
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.
How South Lake High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Lake Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elmwood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Lake High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~426 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Lake High School's federal record.
- Compare South Lake High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Lake 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 South Lake High School
How many students attend South Lake High School?
South Lake High School has 426 students enrolled. It is a high school in Saint Clair Shores, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Lake High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Lake High School is 18.5:1, which is 6% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Lake High School?
57.9% of students at South Lake High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Lake High School?
The largest demographic group at South Lake High School is African American at 73.9% of enrollment, in Saint Clair Shores, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Lake High School?
South Lake High School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Lake High School rank among high schools in Saint Clair Shores?
By Resource Investment Index, South Lake High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Saint Clair Shores, 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 Saint Clair Shores on the city page.
Is South Lake High School a good school?
South Lake High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 South Lake Schools?
Besides South Lake High School, South Lake Schools also operates Avalon Elementary School (345 students), South Lake Middle School (309 students), and Elmwood Elementary School (305 students). See the South Lake 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.