Enrollment
44
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 263230008492
Way South Haven — South Haven, MI
Federal NCES profile for Way South Haven, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 90
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 91
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: South Haven Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.4:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-87% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Way South Haven compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Way South Haven reports 44 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 2.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 87% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 85% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 58.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% above the Michigan average and 14% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 44 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 63.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Haven Public Schools spends $16,700 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 51.4% from local sources (property taxes), 31.2% from the state, and 17.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Way South Haven compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 2.4:1 | ▼ 87% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.8% | ▲ 8% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 44 | top 7% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
58.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% 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
2.4:1
students per teacher
— 87% below state mean
Top 1% in Michigan — lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
63.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,700
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 44 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 44 Top 7% in Michigan — larger than 93% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 2.4:1 -87% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 58.8% +8% vs state
NCES ID 263230008492
Student demographics
White 63.6%
Two or More 15.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
African American 9.1%
Largest group: White at 63.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 44:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 63.6%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Haven Public Schools, which includes Way South Haven.
$16,700
Per student
+5%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 51.4%
State 31.2%
Federal 17.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 255
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 251
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Way South Haven
How many students attend Way South Haven?
Way South Haven has 44 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Haven, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Way South Haven?
The student-teacher ratio at Way South Haven is 2.4:1, which is 87% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 85% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Way South Haven?
58.8% of students at Way South Haven are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Way South Haven?
The largest demographic group at Way South Haven is White at 63.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in South Haven, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Way South Haven?
Way South Haven has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.