Kalkaska County Schools & Education
Kalkaska County, Michigan
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
31/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
72.6%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
72.6%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 82.5%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,800
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,394
School Score
31/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 35/100
State Score Position
#47
of 83 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Kalkaska County
Measured School Summary
Kalkaska County faces educational challenges with a school score of 31/100 and a graduation rate of 72.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $7,800 per pupil, Kalkaska County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 12% below the Michigan average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 9.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Kalkaska County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
8 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
31/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #47 of 83 Michigan counties with school score data.
Completion
72.6%
9.9 pts below the state average
Funding context
$7,800
$406 above the state average
School coverage
8
3 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Kalkaska County has 8 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Kalkaska County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
Kalkaska Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 5 of 8 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#47
of 83 Michigan counties with school score data. The county score is 4 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Kalkaska Public Schools
Elementary to high school visible
1,379 students
5 listed schools in this county slice.
Forest Area Community Schools
Middle and high visible
370 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Excelsior Township S/D #1
Elementary school only in this slice
45 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Kalkaska Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Kalkaska County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Kalkaska County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Kalkaska County, Michigan
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Intimate Learning in Northern Michigan
Kalkaska County operates 8 public schools for 1,794 students across 3 school districts. The footprint includes 4 elementary schools and 2 high schools, serving a tightly-knit student population.
Kalkaska and Forest Area Districts
Kalkaska Public Schools is the largest district, educating 1,379 students across 5 schools. Forest Area Community Schools manages 515 students, and there are currently no charter schools in the county.
Small-Town Feel and Rural Reach
Schools are split evenly between town and rural locales, offering an average school size of just 224 students. Kalkaska High School is the largest campus in the county, yet it remains relatively small with 449 students.
School Overview
Total Schools
8
in Kalkaska County
Reported Enrollment
1,794
8 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Kalkaska County
Kalkaska Public Schools
Forest Area Community Schools
Excelsior Township S/D #1
8 Public Schools in Kalkaska County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 8 of 8 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska High School | Record | Kalkaska Public Schools | Kalkaska, 49646Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 449 |
| Birch Street Elementary School | Record | Kalkaska Public Schools | Kalkaska, 49646Town: Remote | PK–3 | Primary | 354 |
| Kalkaska Middle School | Record | Kalkaska Public Schools | Kalkaska, 49646Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 304 |
| Forest Area Middle School | Record | Forest Area Community Schools | FIFE LAKE, 49633Rural: Distant | 4–8 | Middle | 212 |
| Cherry Street Intermediate School | Record | Kalkaska Public Schools | Kalkaska, 49646Town: Remote | 4–5 | Primary | 176 |
| Forest Area High School | Record | Forest Area Community Schools | FIFE LAKE, 49633Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 158 |
| Rapid City Elementary School | Record | Kalkaska Public Schools | Rapid City, 49676Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 96 |
| Crawford School | Record | Excelsior Township S/D #1 | KALKASKA, 49646Rural: Distant | KG–8 | Primary | 45 |
Birch Street Elementary School
Kalkaska Public Schools
Kalkaska, 49646 / Town: Remote
Kalkaska Middle School
Kalkaska Public Schools
Kalkaska, 49646 / Town: Remote
Forest Area Middle School
Forest Area Community Schools
FIFE LAKE, 49633 / Rural: Distant
Cherry Street Intermediate School
Kalkaska Public Schools
Kalkaska, 49646 / Town: Remote
Forest Area High School
Forest Area Community Schools
FIFE LAKE, 49633 / Rural: Distant
Rapid City Elementary School
Kalkaska Public Schools
Rapid City, 49676 / Rural: Distant
Crawford School
Excelsior Township S/D #1
KALKASKA, 49646 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,800
State avg $7,394
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Kalkaska County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Michigan counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Michigan?
How should I read the school score in Kalkaska County?
What is the graduation rate in Kalkaska County?
How much does Kalkaska County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Kalkaska County, Michigan — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Kalkaska County, Michigan?
Kalkaska County operates 8 public schools for 1,794 students across 3 school districts. The footprint includes 4 elementary schools and 2 high schools, serving a tightly-knit student population.
What are the major school districts in Kalkaska County, Michigan?
Kalkaska Public Schools is the largest district, educating 1,379 students across 5 schools. Forest Area Community Schools manages 515 students, and there are currently no charter schools in the county.
What is the school experience like in Kalkaska County?
Schools are split evenly between town and rural locales, offering an average school size of just 224 students. Kalkaska High School is the largest campus in the county, yet it remains relatively small with 449 students.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.