Enrollment
473
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Howard City, MI
Tri County Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Tri County Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 263393006961
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri County Senior High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Howard City · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 44.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Tri County Senior High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tri County Senior High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Howard City, MI.
School address
District: Tri County Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263393006961 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri County Senior High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri County Senior High School
Tri County Senior High School is a mid-sized high school in Howard City, Michigan, enrolling 473 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 473 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 721 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #153.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 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: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 195 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 473 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Tri County Area Schools also operates Sand Lake Elementary School (780 students) and Macnaughton School (388 students) alongside Tri County Senior 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 Tri County Senior High School compares
Tri County Senior 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.3% | ▼ 18% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Michigan - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$12,858
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 237 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
134
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 41.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 88.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.7, Tri County Senior High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tri County Area Schools, which includes Tri County Senior High School.
$12,858
Per student
-5%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 62.9%
Federal 14.6%
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 Tri County Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Lake Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Macnaughton School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tri County Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri County Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 33.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 381
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~473 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri County Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Tri County Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tri County 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 Tri County Senior High School
How many students attend Tri County Senior High School?
Tri County Senior High School has 473 students enrolled. It is a high school in Howard City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri County Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri County Senior High School is 15.8:1, which is 10% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 1% higher 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 Tri County Senior High School?
44.3% of students at Tri County Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri County Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Tri County Senior High School is White at 88.2% of enrollment, in Howard City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri County Senior High School?
Tri County Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Tri County Senior High School rank among public schools in Howard City?
By Resource Investment Index, Tri County Senior High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Howard 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 Howard City on the city page.
Is Tri County Senior High School a good school?
Tri County Senior High School earns 28/100 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 Tri County Area Schools?
Besides Tri County Senior High School, Tri County Area Schools also operates Sand Lake Elementary School (780 students), Macnaughton School (388 students), and Tri County Middle School (381 students). See the Tri County 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.