Enrollment
1,182
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Commerce Township, MI
Walled Lake Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Walled Lake Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263516007081
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walled Lake Central High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Commerce Township · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 29.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Walled Lake Central High School has class sizes larger than 84% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walled Lake Central High School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Commerce Township, MI.
School address
District: Walled Lake Consolidated Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263516007081 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walled Lake Central High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walled Lake Central High School
Walled Lake Central High School is a large combined-grade school in Commerce Township, Michigan, enrolling 1,182 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,182 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 184 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #91.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 296 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools also operates Walled Lake Northern High School (1,383 students) and Walled Lake Western High School (1,033 students) alongside Walled Lake Central 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 Walled Lake Central High School compares
Walled Lake Central 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.2% | ▼ 46% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,182 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,182
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 84% in Michigan - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.7%
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
$14,084
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 296 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 87 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 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 73.2%
African American 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Asian 4.5%
Two or More 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.3, Walled Lake Central High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, which includes Walled Lake Central High School.
$14,084
Per student
+4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.5%
State 50.6%
Federal 10.0%
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 Walled Lake Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walled Lake Northern High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walled Lake Western High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clifford H Smart Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walnut Creek Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James R Geisler Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walled Lake Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,033
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 888
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~1,182 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walled Lake Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Walled Lake Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Walled Lake Consolidated 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 Walled Lake Central High School
How many students attend Walled Lake Central High School?
Walled Lake Central High School has 1,182 students enrolled. It is a public school in Commerce Township, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walled Lake Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walled Lake Central High School is 20.7:1, which is 18% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walled Lake Central High School?
29.2% of students at Walled Lake Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walled Lake Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Walled Lake Central High School is White at 73.2% of enrollment, in Commerce Township, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walled Lake Central High School?
Walled Lake Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Walled Lake Central High School rank among schools in Commerce Township?
By Resource Investment Index, Walled Lake Central High School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Commerce Township, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Commerce Township on the city page.
Is Walled Lake Central High School a good school?
Walled Lake Central High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Walled Lake Consolidated Schools?
Besides Walled Lake Central High School, Walled Lake Consolidated Schools also operates Walled Lake Northern High School (1,383 students), Walled Lake Western High School (1,033 students), and Clifford H Smart Middle School (888 students). See the Walled Lake Consolidated 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.