Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center

Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center is a tight-knit elementary school in GARDEN CITY, Michigan, run under Garden City Public Schools. The school educates 222 students in grades pre-K through K. Enrollment runs roughly 40% leaner than the state mean of about 369.

Within Garden City Public Schools, which oversees 8 schools and 3,193 students, Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center lists that the largest single group is White, at 71% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 14% Black, 8% Hispanic, 7% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 49% White, putting the school's mix noticeably more White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center has 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 7.8:1. The state averages around 15.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 53% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Wayne County (around 66%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Wayne County) reports that median household earnings sit near $60,539, about 28% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Wayne County runs 573 public schools (combined enrollment of about 259,786 students), of which Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center is one.

The closest other public school is Tipton Academy PK3, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a bedroom-community setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center's enrollment has decreased 6% since 2018, when it stood at 236 (now 222). Over the same period, the Black share edged up from 8% to 14%. Class-load math has fell: from 9.3:1 in 2018 to 7.8:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.