Enrollment
351
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tawas City, MI
Tawas Area High School
Federal NCES profile for Tawas Area High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 263351006885
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tawas Area High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Tawas City · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 39.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Tawas Area High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tawas Area High School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Tawas City, MI.
School address
District: Tawas Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263351006885 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tawas Area High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tawas Area High School
Tawas Area High School is a mid-sized high school in Tawas City, Michigan, enrolling 351 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 351 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 650 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #572, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 88 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 351 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Tawas Area Schools also operates Clara B Bolen Elementary School (433 students) and Tawas Area Middle School (340 students) alongside Tawas Area 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 Tawas Area High School compares
Tawas Area 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.9% | ▼ 27% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 351 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
351
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Michigan - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.3%
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
$11,877
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 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
White 88.6%
Two or More 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
Asian 2.0%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.1, Tawas Area High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tawas Area Schools, which includes Tawas Area High School.
$11,877
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 47.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Tawas Area High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara B Bolen Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tawas Area Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tawas Area High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~351 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tawas Area High School's federal record.
- Compare Tawas Area High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tawas Area 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 Tawas Area High School
How many students attend Tawas Area High School?
Tawas Area High School has 351 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tawas City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tawas Area High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tawas Area High School is 19.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tawas Area High School?
39.9% of students at Tawas Area High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tawas Area High School?
The largest demographic group at Tawas Area High School is White at 88.6% of enrollment, in Tawas City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tawas Area High School?
Tawas Area High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Tawas Area High School rank among public schools in Tawas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Tawas Area High School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Tawas City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Tawas City on the city page.
Is Tawas Area High School a good school?
Tawas Area High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. 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 Tawas Area Schools?
Besides Tawas Area High School, Tawas Area Schools also operates Clara B Bolen Elementary School (433 students) and Tawas Area Middle School (340 students). See the Tawas Area 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.