Western School District
Western School District is a public school district based in Parma, Michigan, serving 2,688 students in 6 schools. By enrollment it ranks #138 of the 316 Michigan districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 57% of them. Its schools average 448 students each, about the same as the Michigan median of 421. Its superintendent is Michael Smajda. It spends about $10,602 per student on day-to-day operations, 8% less than the Michigan median. It has roughly 18.4 students per teacher.
How Western compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Western | Michigan median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,602 | $11,576 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,013 | $7,157 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $31.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $38.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 146 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 319 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 18.4 | 16.8 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 448 | 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 →Michael Smajda
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor Township SchoolsBay City | 2,691 | 6 | $10,394 | 15.2 | #137 |
| Western School DistrictParma · this district | 2,688 | 6 | $10,602 | 18.4 | #138 |
| Ionia Public SchoolsIonia | 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 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Highlands School DistrictUniontown, PA | 2,690 | $15,926 | 13.6 |
| HollistonHolliston, MA | 2,689 | $16,723 | 13.1 |
| Shikellamy School DistrictSunbury, PA | 2,688 | $13,226 | 18.9 |
| Washougal School DistrictWashougal, WA | 2,687 | $15,633 | 19.5 |
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-western-school-district