C
Forest Area Community Schools
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 5 towns
Serves Boardman, Fife Lake, Springfield, Union and Fife Lake, and parts of Orange and Garfield.
Students
493
Schools
3
Spent per student
$15,218
MI $16,528
Students per teacher
14:1
Free or reduced lunch
54%
Debt
$3.1M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Forest Area Community Schools
- School Grade C: better than 28% of Michigan districts
- Math proficiency 19 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 17 pts below the state
- Graduation rate (4-year) 9 pts below the state
- Spends 8% less per student than the MI average
- 14 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 5.9% since 2020
- Debt of $3.1M, about $6,258 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Shepherd.
K–52 elementary schoolsShepherd Public School District
6–8Shepherd Middle SchoolShepherd Public School District
9–12Shepherd High SchoolShepherd Public School District
Test scores vs. MI
2020–21Math proficiency16%
State average 34.6%
Reading / language arts31%
State average 47.9%
Graduation rate (4-year)74%
State average 82.9%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$15,218 per student · 8% below MI
Spending
Classroom instruction 57%Support & administration 36%Other 7%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 24%State 57%Federal 19%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
524’20
487’21
515’22
509’23
493’24
Down 5.9% since 2020.
Students
White 86%American Indian/Alaska Native 6%Two or more races 3%Black 2%Hispanic 2%
Schools in the district
3 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.