Summary:
The city of Benzonia, Michigan is home to 4 schools, including 1 elementary school, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools, all part of the Benzie County Central Schools district. While some schools, like Benzie Central Senior High School, have shown improvement in their statewide rankings, the overall academic performance of the district's schools is mixed, with the middle school and elementary school struggling in certain areas.
Benzie Central Senior High School stands out, having improved its statewide ranking from 465th out of 735 Michigan high schools in 2022-2023 to 220th out of 739 in 2024-2025. However, the school's test scores, particularly in M-Step Science and Social Studies, have declined over the past two years. In contrast, Benzie Central Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Michigan middle schools, with test scores well below the state averages in English Language Arts and Math.
The data also reveals high poverty levels across all schools, with the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch ranging from 53.11% at Benzie Central Senior High School to 67.47% at Benzie Academy. Additionally, the district faces a concerning issue of high chronic absenteeism rates of 29.5% across all schools, which may be impacting student learning and achievement.
Thank you for your feedback!