Summary:
The Bentley Community School District in Burton, Michigan, serves roughly 706 students across four schools—Barhitte Elementary School (PK-5), Bentley Middle School (6-8), Bentley Senior High School (9-12), and Bentley High School BOLD Academy (9-12)—in a district that ranks in the 14th percentile statewide with a 1-star rating.
For parents, the standout concern is the stark contrast between the traditional schools and the alternative program. Bentley Senior High School is the district's strongest performer, with an 86.2% graduation rate that beats both the district (81.2%) and state (84.0%) averages, plus a low 3.4% dropout rate. Its 9th grade ELA proficiency (49%) is the best subject-area result in the district. In contrast, Bentley High School BOLD Academy—serving just 25 students—has a 33.3% graduation rate, a 16.6% dropout rate, an extraordinary 83.3:1 student-teacher ratio, and per-student spending of only $5,187 (less than a third of other district schools). Barhitte Elementary School and Bentley Middle School fall in between, with the middle school showing a troubling single-year decline—8th grade Science plummeted from 39.1% to 10.9% proficiency, and 7th grade ELA sits at just 8.89% versus the state's 38.4%.
District-wide, chronic absenteeism is a crisis: every school exceeds the state's 27.9% rate, ranging from 32.1% at Barhitte to roughly 52% at BOLD Academy, meaning about one in three students is chronically absent. Despite above-average per-pupil spending ($13,190-$15,990 at traditional schools), proficiency rates lag state averages by 15-30 points across nearly all subjects. The district serves a highly economically disadvantaged population (60-76% free/reduced lunch), and with small cohorts of 30-60 students per grade, year-over-year swings can reflect statistical volatility. The most urgent priorities are addressing absenteeism, investigating the middle school's sudden decline, and evaluating whether BOLD Academy's low spending and poor outcomes justify its continued operation.
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