Ionia Public Schools
Ionia Public Schools is a public school district based in Ionia, Michigan, serving 2,675 students in 8 schools. By enrollment it ranks #139 of the 316 Michigan districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 56% of them. Its schools average 334 students each, fewer than the Michigan median of 421. Its superintendent is Benjamin Gurk. It spends about $10,454 per student on day-to-day operations, 10% less than the Michigan median. It has roughly 18.7 students per teacher.
How Ionia compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Ionia | Michigan median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,454 | $11,576 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,487 | $7,157 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $34.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $39.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 143 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 361 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 18.7 | 16.8 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 669 | 585 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Michigan median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Benjamin Gurk
Source: Michigan CEPI Educational Entity Master, checked 2026-10-04. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Michigan
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western School DistrictParma | 2,688 | 6 | $10,602 | 18.4 | #138 |
| Ionia Public SchoolsIonia · this district | 2,675 | 8 | $10,454 | 18.7 | #139 |
| Fruitport Community SchoolsFruitport | 2,671 | 7 | $12,359 | 17.2 | #140 |
| Marysville Public SchoolsMarysville | 2,671 | 5 | $9,121 | 19.8 | #141 |
| Adrian Public SchoolsAdrian | 2,662 | 7 | $13,109 | 14.5 | #142 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escalon UnifiedEscalon, CA | 2,676 | $11,395 | 19.8 |
| Chattooga CountySummerville, GA | 2,676 | $11,749 | 14.8 |
| Mercer CountyHarrodsburg, KY | 2,675 | $11,546 | 15.8 |
| SaugusSaugus, MA | 2,675 | $20,599 | 15.3 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-mi-ionia-public-schools