Enrollment
301
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Garden City, MI
Tipton Academy Pk3
Federal NCES profile for Tipton Academy Pk3, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260103608432Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tipton Academy Pk3 earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Garden City · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 73.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Tipton Academy Pk3 has class sizes smaller than 74% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tipton Academy Pk3 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Garden City, MI.
School address
District: Tipton Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260103608432 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tipton Academy Pk3 compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tipton Academy Pk3
Tipton Academy Pk3 is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Garden City, Michigan, enrolling 301 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 301 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.
Against 469 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #266.
Its student body is led by African American (60%) and White (32%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 89.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Garden City's public schools, it stands alongside Tipton Academy 48 (255 students): Tipton Academy Pk3 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 21.3:1).
Its district, Tipton Academy, also runs Tipton Academy 48 (255 students).
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 Tipton Academy Pk3 compares
Tipton Academy Pk3 on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 18% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.5% | ▲ 35% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 301 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
301
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 26% in Michigan - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
89.7%
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
$13,013
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 59.5%
White 31.9%
Two or More 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 59.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.1, Tipton Academy Pk3 is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tipton Academy, which includes Tipton Academy Pk3.
$13,013
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.4%
State 68.7%
Federal 27.9%
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 Tipton Academy Pk3 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tipton Academy 48 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tipton Academy Pk3's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 255
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Garden City
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~301 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tipton Academy Pk3's federal record.
- Compare Tipton Academy Pk3 against another school. Compare schools
- Tipton Academy'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 Tipton Academy Pk3
How many students attend Tipton Academy Pk3?
Tipton Academy Pk3 has 301 students enrolled. It is a public school in Garden City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tipton Academy Pk3?
The student-teacher ratio at Tipton Academy Pk3 is 14.3:1, which is 18% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tipton Academy Pk3?
73.5% of students at Tipton Academy Pk3 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tipton Academy Pk3?
The largest demographic group at Tipton Academy Pk3 is African American at 59.5% of enrollment, in Garden City, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tipton Academy Pk3?
Tipton Academy Pk3 has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tipton Academy Pk3 rank among public schools in Garden City?
By Resource Investment Index, Tipton Academy Pk3 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Garden 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 Garden City on the city page.
Is Tipton Academy Pk3 a good school?
Tipton Academy Pk3 earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Tipton Academy?
Besides Tipton Academy Pk3, Tipton Academy also operates Tipton Academy 48 (255 students). See the Tipton Academy 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.