Can I use Manistee County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Manistee County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Manistee County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Manistee County?

Start with the 14 listed public schools and 7 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Manistee County Schools & Education

Name: Manistee County, Michigan Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Manistee County, Michigan

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

4/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

58.9%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

58.9%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.5%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,655

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,394

School Score

4/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 35/100

State Score Position

#83

of 83 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Manistee County

Measured School Summary

Manistee County faces educational challenges with a school score of 4/100 and a graduation rate of 58.9%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,655 per pupil, Manistee County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 89% below the Michigan average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 23.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 24% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Manistee 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

14 public schools and 7 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

4/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #83 of 83 Michigan counties with school score data.

Completion

58.9%

23.6 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,655

$1,739 below the state average

School coverage

7 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

Manistee County has 14 public schools across 7 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Manistee 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.

Review-carefully county

Manistee County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#83

of 83 Michigan counties with school score data. The county score is 31 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.

Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy

Other grade structure

3,389 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

Manistee Area Public Schools

Elementary and high visible

1,225 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

Elementary to high school visible

539 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Onekama Consolidated Schools

Other grade structure

304 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District is the largest listed district slice, with 3 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 Manistee County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Manistee County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Manistee County Graduation Rate and Composite Score Trail State Norms

Education data brief for Manistee County, Michigan.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Manistee County reports a graduation rate of 58.9%, compared to the Michigan state average of 82.5% and the national mark of 87.0%. This coincides with a composite school score of 3.8, significantly lower than the state average of 35.1 and the national median of 50.0. Per-pupil expenditure is $5,655, which is below the state average of $7,394 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. The county's school structure is unique due to the Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, a charter school that enrolls 3,389 students—over half of the county's total enrollment of 5,994. Excluding the virtual academy, the largest physical district is Manistee Area Public Schools with 1,225 students. The county contains 14 public schools, primarily in rural or town settings. Average school size is 461 students. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Manistee County

Reported Enrollment

5,994

14 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

14% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary5

Middle1

High5

Other3

7 School Districts in Manistee County

Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy

Manistee Area Public Schools

3 schools

1,225 students

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

3 schools

539 students

Onekama Consolidated Schools

1 school

304 students

Bear Lake Schools

2 schools

290 students

Casman Alternative Academy

1 school

63 students

Manistee ISD

1 school

48 students

14 Public Schools in Manistee County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 14 of 14 matching schools

Public schools in Manistee County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy	Profile	Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy	MANISTEE, 49660Town: Remote	PK–12	Charter	3,389
Manistee Middle High School	Record	Manistee Area Public Schools	MANISTEE, 49660Town: Remote	6–12	High	687
Onekama Consolidated Schools	Record	Onekama Consolidated Schools	ONEKAMA, 49675Rural: Distant	KG–12	Other	304
KND Elementary	Record	Kaleva Norman Dickson School District	BRETHREN, 49619Rural: Remote	KG–6	Primary	289
John F Kennedy Elem School	Record	Manistee Area Public Schools	MANISTEE, 49660Town: Remote	3–5	Primary	279
Thomas Jefferson Elem School	Record	Manistee Area Public Schools	MANISTEE, 49660Town: Remote	KG–2	Primary	259
Brethren High School	Record	Kaleva Norman Dickson School District	BRETHREN, 49619Rural: Remote	9–12	High	177
Bear Lake Elementary School	Record	Bear Lake Schools	BEAR LAKE, 49614Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	163
Betsie Valley School	Record	Benzie County Central Schools	THOMPSONVILLE, 49683Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	136
Bear Lake High School	Record	Bear Lake Schools	BEAR LAKE, 49614Rural: Remote	7–12	High	127
Brethren Middle School	Record	Kaleva Norman Dickson School District	BRETHREN, 49619Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	73
Casman Alternative Academy	Record	Casman Alternative Academy	MANISTEE, 49660Town: Remote	7–12	Charter	63
Manistee ISD Center Programs	Record	Manistee ISD	MANISTEE, 49660Rural: Fringe	PK–12	Special Education	48
Oaks Correctional Facility	Record	Michigan Department of Corrections	Manistee, 49660Town: Remote	9–12	Alternative	0

Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy

MANISTEE, 49660 / Town: Remote

ProfilePK–12Charter3,389 students

Manistee Middle High School

Manistee Area Public Schools

MANISTEE, 49660 / Town: Remote

Record6–12High687 students

Onekama Consolidated Schools

ONEKAMA, 49675 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–12Other304 students

KND Elementary

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

BRETHREN, 49619 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary289 students

John F Kennedy Elem School

Manistee Area Public Schools

MANISTEE, 49660 / Town: Remote

Record3–5Primary279 students

Thomas Jefferson Elem School

Manistee Area Public Schools

MANISTEE, 49660 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–2Primary259 students

Brethren High School

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

BRETHREN, 49619 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High177 students

Bear Lake Elementary School

Bear Lake Schools

BEAR LAKE, 49614 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary163 students

Betsie Valley School

Benzie County Central Schools

THOMPSONVILLE, 49683 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary136 students

Bear Lake High School

Bear Lake Schools

BEAR LAKE, 49614 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High127 students

Brethren Middle School

Kaleva Norman Dickson School District

BRETHREN, 49619 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle73 students

Casman Alternative Academy

MANISTEE, 49660 / Town: Remote

Record7–12Charter63 students

Manistee ISD Center Programs

Manistee ISD

MANISTEE, 49660 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–12Special Education48 students

Oaks Correctional Facility

Michigan Department of Corrections

Manistee, 49660 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Alternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,655

State avg $7,394

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Manistee County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Michigan counties have the highest graduation rates?

Alcona County (95.0%), Alger County (95.0%), and Schoolcraft County (95.0%) currently lead Michigan among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Michigan?

Across Michigan counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,394. The highest current county values are Keweenaw County ($18,000), Lake County ($10,369), and Leelanau County ($9,877). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Manistee County?

Manistee County has a school score of 4/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Manistee County?

The high school graduation rate in Manistee County is 58.9%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Manistee County spend per student?

Manistee County spends $5,655 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Montcalm County

Michigan

+6 pts

9/100

School score

Ogemaw County

Michigan

+6 pts

10/100

School score

Montmorency County

Michigan

+8 pts

11/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

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