Enrollment
258
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jackson, MI
Vandercook Lake High School
Federal NCES profile for Vandercook Lake High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263465007043
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vandercook Lake High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of Michigan schools.
- #4 of 10
- schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.6:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 70.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Vandercook Lake High School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vandercook Lake High School ranks #4 of 10 schools in Jackson, MI.
School address
District: Vandercook Lake Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263465007043 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vandercook Lake High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vandercook Lake High School
Vandercook Lake High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jackson, Michigan, enrolling 258 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 258 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 424 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #115.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 258 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 93 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 258 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Jackson's public schools, it stands alongside South Central Michigan Virtual (402 students): Vandercook Lake High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 80.4:1).
Vandercook Lake Public Schools also operates Townsend Elementary School (316 students) and Vandercook Lake Virtual Academy (55 students) alongside Vandercook 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 Vandercook Lake High School compares
Vandercook 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 22% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.5% | ▲ 30% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 258 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
258
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 21% in Michigan - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
76.0%
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
$13,587
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 258 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.0 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
White 76.0%
Two or More 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
African American 4.7%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 76.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.2, Vandercook Lake High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vandercook Lake Public Schools, which includes Vandercook Lake High School.
$13,587
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.6%
State 65.4%
Federal 14.0%
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 Vandercook Lake High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Townsend Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vandercook Lake Virtual Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Vandercook Lake High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 55
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Jackson
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
South Central Michigan Virtual
Standard public school
402 students 80.4:1 students per teacher
Jackson Preparatory Early College
Standard public school
260 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Jackson Isd Local Based Special Education Programs
Special-education school
240 students 4:1 students per teacher
Northwest Connect
Alternative education program
157 students 39.3:1 students per teacher
Way East Jackson
Alternative education program
16 students
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 (~258 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vandercook Lake High School's federal record.
- Compare Vandercook Lake High School against another school. Compare schools
- Vandercook Lake Public 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 Vandercook Lake High School
How many students attend Vandercook Lake High School?
Vandercook Lake High School has 258 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jackson, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vandercook Lake High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vandercook Lake High School is 13.6:1, which is 22% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 13% 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 Vandercook Lake High School?
70.5% of students at Vandercook Lake High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vandercook Lake High School?
The largest demographic group at Vandercook Lake High School is White at 76.0% of enrollment, in Jackson, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vandercook Lake High School?
Vandercook Lake High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vandercook Lake High School rank among schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Vandercook Lake High School ranks #4 of 10 schools in Jackson, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Vandercook Lake High School a good school?
Vandercook Lake High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Vandercook Lake Public Schools?
Besides Vandercook Lake High School, Vandercook Lake Public Schools also operates Townsend Elementary School (316 students) and Vandercook Lake Virtual Academy (55 students). See the Vandercook Lake Public 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.