Enrollment
1,384
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Traverse City, MI
West Senior High
Federal NCES profile for West Senior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 263387000838
👥 S:T ratio 8
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Senior High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Traverse City · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.1:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 30.2%
- free-lunch eligible
West Senior High has class sizes larger than 91% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Senior High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Traverse City, MI.
School address
District: Traverse City Area Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263387000838 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Senior High compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Senior High
West Senior High is a large high school in Traverse City, Michigan, enrolling 1,384 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.1:1 is larger than about 91% of Michigan schools and 32% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,384 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 122 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 231 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Traverse City's high schools, it stands alongside The Greenspire High School (176 students): West Senior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.1:1 vs 29.3:1).
Traverse City Area Public Schools also operates Central High School (1,326 students) and West Middle School (1,081 students) alongside West Senior High.
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 West Senior High compares
West Senior High on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.1:1 | ▲ 32% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.2% | ▼ 44% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,384 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,384
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 91% in Michigan - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
55.3%
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
$12,932
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 231 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
96
in-school suspensions + 99 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 90.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.7, West Senior High is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Traverse City Area Public Schools, which includes West Senior High.
$12,932
Per student
-4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 40.7%
Federal 10.7%
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 West Senior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Grade School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastern Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Senior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,326
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Traverse City
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,384 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Senior High's federal record.
- Compare West Senior High against another school. Compare schools
- Traverse City Area 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 West Senior High
How many students attend West Senior High?
West Senior High has 1,384 students enrolled. It is a high school in Traverse City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Senior High?
The student-teacher ratio at West Senior High is 23.1:1, which is 32% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Senior High?
30.2% of students at West Senior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Senior High?
The largest demographic group at West Senior High is White at 90.0% of enrollment, in Traverse City, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Senior High?
West Senior High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 West Senior High rank among high schools in Traverse City?
By Resource Investment Index, West Senior High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Traverse City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Traverse City on the city page.
Is West Senior High a good school?
West Senior High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Traverse City Area Public Schools?
Besides West Senior High, Traverse City Area Public Schools also operates Central High School (1,326 students), West Middle School (1,081 students), and East Middle School (829 students). See the Traverse City Area 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.