Elementary Schools in Bellaire Public Schools

Bellaire Public Schools is served by a single elementary school, John R Rodger Elementary School, which enrolls 119 students in grades Pre-K through 5 in the small, rural community of Bellaire, Michigan.

Because this is the only elementary school in the district, its performance directly defines the district’s reputation. The school has shown meaningful improvement in its state ranking, moving from a 2-star rating (851st in the state) in 2023-2024 to a 3-star rating (664th) in 2024-2025, and maintaining 3 stars (712th) in 2025-2026. The standout academic strength is in 5th grade science and social studies, where students consistently outperform state averages by about 10 percentage points. For example, 50% of 5th graders were proficient in science versus 40% statewide, and 38.1% were proficient in social studies versus 29.8% statewide. However, performance in ELA and math is more mixed. While 4th grade ELA (42.9%) now exceeds the state average (41.3%) and 4th grade math improved sharply to 38.1%, 5th grade scores dropped significantly year-over-year—ELA fell from 57.1% to 38.9% and math from 42.9% to 27.8%. Given the very small class sizes, these swings likely reflect cohort variability rather than systemic decline.

Parents should note the school’s strong resource commitment: it spends $22,336 per student and maintains a low 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio, allowing for personalized attention. Yet, chronic absenteeism is a concern, with 30% of students chronically absent—slightly above the district and state rate of 27.9%. Also, 52.1% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, adding socioeconomic context. The positive momentum in 3rd and 4th grade suggests instructional improvements are taking hold, but the disconnect between high spending and near-average ELA/math scores in some grades indicates that targeted literacy and math interventions could yield better returns. Overall, this is a small, resource-rich school with clear strengths in science and social studies, but it faces challenges in stabilizing upper-grade test scores and reducing absenteeism.