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Betsie Valley School

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

1186^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Betsie Valley School is an elementary school located in Thompsonville, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 140 students. The school is part of the Benzie County Central Schools district, which is ranked 374 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Betsie Valley School has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Michigan elementary schools, with a ranking between 604 and 1192 over the past 10 years and a 1- or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 29.5% to 44.2%, which are significantly higher than the state average. Academically, Betsie Valley School's performance, as measured by M-Step test scores, is consistently below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math around 10-25 percentage points lower than the district and state averages.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools, such as Lake Ann Elementary and Homestead Hills Elementary, which are also part of the Benzie County Central Schools district, Betsie Valley School consistently underperforms. Additionally, the school's spending per student, ranging from $14,631 to $17,895 over the past few years, is below the state average, which may contribute to the school's challenges.

131

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

71%

Free/discounted lunch ?

17936 Cadillac Hwy
Thompsonville, MI 49683-9237

(231) 378-4164

District: Benzie County Central Schools

Students who attend Betsie Valley School usually attend:

Middle:	Benzie Central Middle School
High:	Benzie Central Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.8%

Two or more races:

6.9%

American Indian:

1.5%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Betsie Valley School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2015 → 20th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (21% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg30%

Michigan avg40%

1,186^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 25% (2015) to bottom 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Benzie County Central Schools

374^th of 613Benzie County Central Schools among Michigan districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	1186 of 1488	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	1192 of 1486	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	1099 of 1470	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.9	763 of 1344	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.9	604 of 1153	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.1	872 of 1408	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.1	897 of 1448	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.6	799 of 1466	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.3	1045 of 1548	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.8	1192 of 1580	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	45.9	904 of 1533	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	34.8	1115 of 1563	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	47.0	906 of 1566	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.6	1063 of 1552	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	41.7	1198 of 1552	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	45.2	1136 of 1589	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	61.3	734 of 1577	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.4	440 of 1565	71.9%	★★★★☆
2006	68.8	471 of 1545	69.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	18.9	1204 of 1443	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	1068 of 1346	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	1081 of 1381	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.5	761 of 1350	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.6	482 of 1134	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.6	772 of 1397	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	40.7	780 of 1366	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.7	793 of 1347	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	803 of 1334	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.1	565 of 1446	60.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	1167 of 1206	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.3	1104 of 1204	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.5	1100 of 1198	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	859 of 1102	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.3	824 of 1128	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.0	925 of 1253	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)43rd percentile+23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile~ school

Female (2018)17th percentile-21 vs school

White (2025)3rd percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science33%-7 vs state

Math22%-16 vs state

English Language Arts17%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Betsie Valley School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)				M-Step Math (2025)				M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Betsie Valley School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	17936 Cadillac Hwy	Thompsonville	49683	Manistee County	Benzie County Central Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 378-4164	131	10	13.3	71.0%	119 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.9%)	18.7	1186^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.3%		18.4	1192^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	19.8%	6	11.5	13.6	25.0		23.1	22.7	20.8		33.3		$00	$00	$00
Bear Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7748 Cody St	Bear Lake	49614	Manistee County	Bear Lake Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 864-3133	147	10	14.8	61.2%	127 (86.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	58.8	581^st of 1488 public elementary schools	61.0%		70.2	404^th of 1486 public elementary schools	72.8%	177	35.0	63.2	29.4	47.4	55.0	78.9	17.7	47.4	35.3	23.5	$15,524	$3,714	$11,810
Homestead Hills Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7048 Severance St	Benzonia	49616	Benzie County	Benzie County Central Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 882-4641	209	14	14.8	63.2%	182 (87.1%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.7%)	22.6	1118^th of 1488 public elementary schools	24.9%		22.4	1136^th of 1486 public elementary schools	23.6%	18	25.0	20.7	39.3		25.0	14.3	14.3		32.1	17.9	$00	$00	$00
Floyd M Jewett Elementary School	Public	K-5	210 E Mesick Ave	Mesick	49668	Wexford County	Mesick Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 885-1207	256	21	12.3	61.7%	242 (94.5%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	45.2	790^th of 1488 public elementary schools	46.9%		39.7	853^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	42.6%	63	17.6	41.5	44.0		45.5	49.1	20.0		36.0	24.0	$16,571	$2,590	$13,982
Lake Ann Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	19375 Bronson Lake Rd	Interlochen	49643	Benzie County	Benzie County Central Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 275-7730	180	13	13.7	50.0%	167 (92.8%)	3 (1.7%)	4 (2.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	51.1	700^th of 1488 public elementary schools	53.0%		58.9	569^th of 1486 public elementary schools	61.7%	131	22.2	42.4	65.4		26.9	33.3	61.5		53.8	19.2	$00	$00	$00
KND Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-6	4400 Highbridge Rd	Brethren	49619	Manistee County	Kaleva Norman Dickson School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 477-5353	289	16	18.1	76.8%	249 (86.2%)	12 (4.2%)	14 (4.8%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	20.5	1150^th of 1488 public elementary schools	22.7%		14.9	1250^th of 1486 public elementary schools	15.9%	100	20.5	20.0	20.4	23.4	38.5	22.9	16.3	6.4	26.5	20.4	$15,209	$2,663	$12,547
Westwoods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Fisher Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-7900	365	21	17.7	23.6%	350 (95.9%)	3 (0.8%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	74.8	339^th of 1488 public elementary schools	77.2%		71.3	382^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	74.3%	43	59.6	63.5	54.1		63.2	55.8	36.1		52.5	36.1	$15,086	$1,278	$13,807
Blair Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1625 Sawyer Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5700	202	18	11.2	63.9%	168 (83.2%)	5 (2.5%)	16 (7.9%)	3 (1.5%)	9 (4.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25.1	1077^th of 1488 public elementary schools	27.6%		46.9	744^th of 1486 public elementary schools	49.9%	333	14.3	25.0	41.9		32.1	16.7	24.2		21.2	21.2	$20,158	$2,238	$17,920
Frankfort Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	613 Leelanau Ave	Frankfort	49635	Benzie County	Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 352-4641	240	17	13.8	56.7%	217 (90.4%)	5 (2.1%)	12 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	73.3	362^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	75.7%		56.8	598^th of 1486 public elementary schools	59.8%	236	41.7	65.0	57.9		50.0	37.5	55.3		63.2	42.1	$20,027	$2,472	$17,555
Silver Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5858 Culver Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-3580	286	18	15.9	37.8%	265 (92.7%)	4 (1.4%)	9 (3.1%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.3	711^th of 1488 public elementary schools	52.2%		39.7	854^th of 1486 public elementary schools	42.5%	143	41.5	43.2	53.7		39.6	18.9	37.0		44.4	24.1	$15,909	$1,746	$14,163

Frequently Asked Questions about Betsie Valley School

How many students attend Betsie Valley School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 131 students attended Betsie Valley School.

What is the racial makeup of Betsie Valley School?

Students at Betsie Valley School are 91% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What district is Betsie Valley School in?

Benzie County Central Schools

What schools do graduates of Betsie Valley School attend?

Students who attend Betsie Valley School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Benzie Central Middle School
High : Benzie Central Senior High School

Is Betsie Valley School a good school?

Betsie Valley School ranks in the bottom 20.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Betsie Valley School!

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Schools in Thompsonville, MI

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.