operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 2635940
Western School District
Spring Arbor, MI
Students2,687
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictMIUnited States
Academic standing2025
53rd percentile41st percentile45th percentileThis district is 12 percentile points higher than the state figure and 8 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
21.0%33.3%27.8%This district is 12.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$15,252$18,803$19,509This district is $3,551 per student lower than the state figure and $4,257 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$13,044$15,316$15,859This district is $2,272 per student lower than the state figure and $2,815 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$905$2,346$1,964This district is $1,441 per student lower than the state figure and $1,059 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$440$571$336This district is $131 per student lower than the state figure and $104 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$0$0$1,793This district is about the same as the state figure and $1,793 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$5,639$6,165$8,742This district is $526 per student lower than the state figure and $3,103 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$4,867$5,003$3,769This district is $136 per student lower than the state figure and $1,098 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$25,940$15,337$11,715This district is $10,603 per student higher than the state figure and $14,225 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$1,011$1,154$869This district is $143 per student lower than the state figure and $142 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
18:117:115:1This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 3.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
423:1574:1376:1This district is 151 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 47 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
117.9142.6138.9This district is 24.7 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 21.0 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
15.015.418.5This district is 0.4 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 3.5 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.00.70.9This district is 0.7 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.9 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
98.0%98.5%99.0%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
1.6%3.6%2.6%This district is 2.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
0.6%8.0%12.0%This district is 7.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 11.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
10.4%13.4%14.0%This district is 3.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
3.7%2.9%3.9%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
99.4%95.7%95.8%This district is 3.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
-2.8%+1.6%+0.5%This district is 4.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
37.9%51.1%50.6%This district is 13.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 12.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.1%6.1%4.5%This district is 1.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
15.1%11.6%9.0%This district is 3.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 6.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.1%7.0%6.7%This district is 1.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
9.8%16.4%14.4%This district is 6.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 51,169 students
43.5%Grades 6–8595 students
22.1%Grades 9–12923 students
34.4%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten0
Kindergarten250
Grade 1174
Grade 2179
Grade 3200
Grade 4192
Grade 5174
Grade 6198
Grade 7188
Grade 8209
Grade 9212
Grade 10254
Grade 11217
Grade 12240
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers0.5 FTE
Kindergarten teachers12 FTE
Elementary teachers46.3 FTE
Secondary teachers76.8 FTE
Ungraded teachers13.1 FTE
Elementary school counselors1 FTE
Secondary school counselors5.4 FTE
Instructional coordinators1.1 FTE
District administrators8.3 FTE
School administrative support17.5 FTE
Library and media support5.6 FTE
Other support staff69.6 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
0.6%Students learning English9 students · 2 of 6 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
10.4%Students receiving IDEA special-education services279 students · 6 of 6 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
3.7%Students with Section 504 plans99 students · 6 of 6 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services1 students · 6 of 6 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in MI receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Lakeshore School District (Berrien)Stevensville, MI2,672 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Marysville Public SchoolsMarysville, MI2,721 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Plainwell Community SchoolsKalamazoo, MI2,647 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Fruitport Community SchoolsMuskegon, MI2,648 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Highpoint Virtual Academy of MichiganMesick, MI2,764 studentsSimilar enrollment, English-learner enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Students not economically disadvantaged1,304 assessments
61 out of 100Mal1,192 assessments
55 out of 100White students1,994 assessments
53 out of 100Fem1,138 assessments
51 out of 100Hispanic students46 assessments
45 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students1,026 assessments
42 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$11,737
→FY 2023$13,044
FY 2022$594
→FY 2023$905
FY 2022$24,405
→FY 2023$25,940
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
128 of 2,840 students
890 of 2,763 students
578 of 2,757 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I2 reporting schools
100%
Calculus2 reporting schools
50%
Biology2 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry2 reporting schools
100%
Physics2 reporting schools
100%
Computer science2 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement2 reporting schools
50%
Dual enrollment2 reporting schools
50%
Gifted programs6 reporting schools
0%
International Baccalaureate2 reporting schools
0%
Athletics2 reporting schools
50%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
160Out-of-school suspensions6 reporting schoolsSee schools →140In-school suspensions6 reporting schoolsSee schools →3Law-enforcement referrals6 reporting schoolsSee schools →1School-related arrests6 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?21% chronically absent2022–23 · 2,757 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Improved overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?6 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$13,044current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?423:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →