Enrollment
49
High
DISTRICT 278 · STATE 460
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DOWAGIAC UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 261215004920
Pathfinders Alternative Ed
501 N PAUL ST, DOWAGIAC, MI 49047 · (269) 782-4471 · Cass County
GRADES 06–12HIGH31-TOWNVIRTUALTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL49 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
20.4:1
2 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 19.3:1 · STATE 21.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
82%
40 students
DISTRICT 71% · STATE 55%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 1 | 2% |
| Grade 8 | 1 | 2% |
| Grade 9 | 16 | 33% |
| Grade 10 | 14 | 29% |
| Grade 11 | 10 | 20% |
| Grade 12 | 5 | 10% |
| Ungraded | 2 | 4% |
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
49
-21 (-30%) vs 2020
+96% since 1990-91, when it was 25
Student : Teacher
20.4:1
was 70.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 49 | 2.4 | 20.4:1 | 82% (40) |
| 2023-24 | 50 | 3 | 16.5:1 | 76% (38) |
| 2022-23 | 38 | 2.2 | 17.3:1 | 92% (35) |
| 2020-21 | 70 | 1 | 70.0:1 | 91% (64) |
| 2017-18 | 52 | 2.8 | 18.6:1 | 87% (45) |
| 2015-16 | 61 | 2 | 30.5:1 | 80% (49) |
| 2010-11 | 74 | 2 | 37.0:1 | 70% (52) |
| 2000-01 | 49 | 1 | 49.0:1 | 0% (0) |
| 1990-91 | 25 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Pathfinders Alternative Ed.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (52 to 49); teachers down 14% (2.8 to 2.4).
About Pathfinders Alternative Ed
Pathfinders Alternative Ed is a very small high school found in DOWAGIAC, Michigan. It has an enrollment of 49 students in grades 6 through 12. On average, high schools in Michigan enroll around 460, and this school is 89% below that mark.
District-wide, Dowagiac Union School District has 7 schools and 1,815 students.
More than half of enrollment at Pathfinders Alternative Ed is White: 57%. Other groups make up 18% multiracial, 12% Hispanic, and 12% Black. Cass County as a whole is about 85% White, so the school's share is lower.
There are 2.4 full-time-equivalent teachers at the school, a ratio of 20.4:1. The gap from the 21.6:1 average for high schools in Michigan is 1.2 students per teacher. On the income side, 82% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Among public schools in Cass County, the average eligibility rate is 54%.
For the population of Cass County, median household income comes to about $70,443, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 9% of people live in poverty. Cass County's 23 public schools enroll about 6,258 students and include Pathfinders Alternative Ed.
Of the public schools around it, Pathfinders Alternative Ed is closest to Union High School, less than a tenth of a mile away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are 6 other public schools.
On the NCES locale scale, the school is Town: Fringe. Pathfinders Alternative Ed is classified as a virtual school.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, enrollment fell from 70 to 49, a 30% decrease. The student-to-teacher ratio went down from 70.0:1 to 20.4:1.
This community page is for conversations about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Cass County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
51,520
Census ACS
Median income
$70,443
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
22%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
23
6,258 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Dowagiac Union School District
- Union High SchoolHigh · 507 students
- Dowagiac Middle SchoolMiddle · 393 students
- Justus Gage Elementary SchoolElementary · 262 students
- Patrick Hamilton ElementaryElementary · 224 students
- Kincheloe Elementary SchoolElementary · 214 students
- Sister Lakes Elementary SchoolElementary · 166 students
Other schools in DOWAGIAC
- Union High SchoolHigh · 507 students
- Dowagiac Middle SchoolMiddle · 393 students
- Justus Gage Elementary SchoolElementary · 262 students
- Patrick Hamilton ElementaryElementary · 224 students
- Kincheloe Elementary SchoolElementary · 214 students
- North Pointe CenterCombined · 44 students
Nearby schools
- Union High School0.0 mi · 507
- Patrick Hamilton Elementary0.3 mi · 224
- North Pointe Center0.7 mi · 44
- Justus Gage Elementary School0.9 mi · 262
- Dowagiac Middle School1.8 mi · 393
- Kincheloe Elementary School4.1 mi · 214
Frequently asked questions
About Pathfinders Alternative EdWhat is the total enrollment at Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed enrolls approximately 49 students in grades 06-12.
What age range does Pathfinders Alternative Ed serve?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed serves students from grade 06 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
Approximately 20.4:1 students per teacher at Pathfinders Alternative Ed.
How diverse is Pathfinders Alternative Ed?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed reports a student body of 57% White, 12% Hispanic, 12% Black, 18% Two or more.
Is Pathfinders Alternative Ed public or private?
Pathfinders Alternative Ed is a public K-12 school, overseen by Dowagiac Union School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.