Total enrollment
1,728
-169 (-9%) vs SY 2017-18
Kalkaska County
Michigan · Public K-12
Public K-12 schools in Kalkaska County number 8, teaching approximately 1,728 Michigan students against a population of 18,239. By grade band, the county runs 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools.
7-year change in Kalkaska County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
7
-2 (-22%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
94%
was 94%
% Hispanic
3%
was 3%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
18,239
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
8
3 districts
Enrollment
1,728
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$68,578
Above Michigan avg
Free/reduced lunch
55.4%
Above Michigan avg
Elementary
3
633 students
Middle
2
500 students
High
2
595 students
Combined / other
1
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Kalkaska Public Schools
1,333 students · 3 districts in Kalkaska County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Kalkaska County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
19.0%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.5%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.8%
civilian labor
Median age
44
20.1% under 18
Test scores in Kalkaska County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 1 schools ranked. Michigan state average: 47.7%.
Top 1 schools (ELA)
- Kalkaska Elementary School· 31.7%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska Elementary School | Kalkaska | Elementary | PK-05 | 517 | · |
| Kalkaska High School | Kalkaska | High | 09-12 | 439 | · |
| Kalkaska Middle School | Kalkaska | Middle | 06-08 | 307 | · |
| Forest Area Middle School | Fife Lake | Middle | 04-08 | 193 | · |
| Forest Area High School | Fife Lake | High | 09-12 | 156 | · |
| Rapid City Elementary School | Rapid City | Elementary | PK-05 | 70 | · |
| Crawford School | Kalkaska | Elementary | KG-08 | 46 | · |
| Cherry Street Intermediate School | Kalkaska | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Kalkaska County
About Kalkaska County
Kalkaska County is a thinly populated county of about 18,239 residents in Michigan. Its public-school system hosts approximately 1,728 students across 8 schools.
In context, census numbers show median household income runs near $68,578, about 19% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 8%.
On the school-mix side, Kalkaska County consists of 3 elementary schools (633 students), 2 middle schools (500), 2 high schools (595), and 1 combined or other schools.
Kalkaska Public Schools dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 1,333 students on its own.
Over the past 7-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 1,728 students, shrank 9% from the 1,897 reported in SY 2017-18. The school count fell from 9 to 7 across the same 7-year window.
On this page, the community for Kalkaska County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Kalkaska County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data