LADY BUDGETDOWN | NORTHPORT PUBLIC SCHOOL
📊 STEPS 2 & 2A: ENROLLMENT, STAFFING & ADMINISTRATIVE TRENDS
2014–15 vs. 2024–25
We've examined Northport Public School's financial changes over the past decade, including per-pupil expenditures and actual administrative spending.
Now Lady B is looking at staffing.
How has the district's workforce changed as enrollment has declined?
🏫 STUDENT ENROLLMENT
2014–15: 174 students
2024–25: 126.23 students
📉 A decline of 47.77 students, or 27.45%.
That's a little more than one-quarter of the district's enrollment over ten years.
🍎 TEACHING STAFF
2014–15: 17.00 FTE
2024–25: 13.72 FTE
A decrease of 19.29%.
While enrollment declined 27.45%, teacher staffing declined at a somewhat slower rate.
That distinction matters when examining staffing levels in a small district.
📋 OTHER STAFFING CATEGORIES
Michigan's REP staffing data also shows:
🔹 School Support: 1.00 to 1.91 FTE (+91.00%)
🔹 Other Support: 10.25 to 10.29 FTE (+0.39%)
Several additional staffing categories contain unavailable data for one of the comparison years, so Lady B is not assigning percentage changes where a reliable comparison cannot be made.
🏛� ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFING
Using NCES administrative staffing data:
District-Level Administrators:
2014–15: 1.98 FTE
2024–25: 1.00 FTE
Change: -49.49%
School Administrators:
2014–15: 1.02 FTE
2024–25: 1.00 FTE
Change: -1.96%
Total Administrators:
2014–15: 3.00 FTE
2024–25: 2.00 FTE
📉 A decrease of 33.33%.
💰 CONNECTING THIS TO STEP 1A
In our previous comparison, Northport's actual administrative expenditures increased 8.96% over the decade, from approximately $719,942 to $784,459.
During that same period, reported administrative staffing declined from 3.00 to 2.00 FTE.
This is an important distinction.
Administrative expenditures include more than the salaries of employees classified as administrators. A reduction in administrative staffing does not necessarily produce an equivalent reduction in administrative expenditures.
💭 THE BIG PICTURE
Over ten years, Northport experienced:
📉 Enrollment: -27.45%
📉 Teachers: -19.29%
📉 Administrators: -33.33%
📈 Actual Administrative Expenditures: +8.96%
These numbers provide context for understanding how Northport's staffing and financial structure have changed.
They do not, by themselves, establish whether the district is overstaffed, understaffed, or spending appropriately.
But they do help answer an important question: How has the district adjusted its staffing as the number of students it serves has declined?
📚 Sources: Michigan Department of Education Bulletin 1014, Michigan REP staffing data, NCES administrative staffing data, and MDE Bulletin 1011.
👑 Lady B | With Receipts and Respect.
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