Summary:
Bendle Public Schools is home to a single middle school, Bendle Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 in Burton, MI, with 219 students and a student-teacher ratio of 13:1.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Bendle Middle School faces significant challenges, but understanding the context is key. The school ranks in the bottom 10-12% of Michigan middle schools, with its percentile dropping from 12th to 9th over the past three years. Academic proficiency is well below state averages across all subjects—for example, only 16.2% of 6th graders and 10.3% of 7th graders are proficient in ELA, compared to state averages of 37.5% and 38.4%, respectively. Math proficiency is similarly low, with just 12.2% of 6th graders and 5.9% of 7th graders meeting standards. A critical factor is the chronic absenteeism rate of 57.1%, which is more than double the state average of 27.9%. With 90.87% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population, and these compounding factors—poverty and poor attendance—are likely driving the low test scores.
Despite these hurdles, there are notable points of interest. The 8th-grade PSAT ELA score of 32.2% is a relative bright spot, significantly higher than the 6th and 7th-grade M-Step ELA scores, suggesting possible progress as students advance or that the PSAT format is more accessible. Additionally, per-student spending is substantial at $17,385, indicating the district is investing heavily, though results have not yet followed. The data also shows a cohort effect from the pandemic: 6th graders in 2025-2026 were in 3rd grade during the peak of COVID-19, a critical year for reading foundations, which may explain some score fluctuations. For parents, this means the school is dealing with systemic issues that require targeted interventions, particularly around attendance and early literacy support, rather than a simple lack of resources.
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