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Betsie Valley School

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

1122^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Betsie Valley School is a small, rural elementary school in Thompsonville, MI, serving 131 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Benzie County Central Schools district.

If you're considering Betsie Valley, the most important thing to know is that the school is facing significant challenges, but there are also signs of recent progress. The school has received a 1-star rating for the past four years, placing it in the bottom quarter of Michigan elementary schools. One of the biggest concerns is chronic absenteeism—nearly 40% of students missed enough school to be considered chronically absent in the 2024-2025 school year. That's more than double the rate at nearby Frankfort Elementary School (17.7%) and Westwoods Elementary School (16.0%). Over 70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a key factor in understanding the school's performance. On a positive note, the most recent test scores show substantial improvement—3rd-grade reading proficiency jumped from 11.5% to 27.8%, and 4th-grade reading went from 13.6% to 27.3%—suggesting that recent interventions may be starting to take hold.

There are also some notable patterns in how different groups of students are performing. While male students have ranked in the 40th-43rd percentile over the last three years, female students have historically performed much lower, which pulls down the school's overall averages. The school appears to be making strong progress with its economically disadvantaged students, who jumped from the 21st to the 44th percentile in just one year. However, the school spends a significant amount per student ($18,578)—more than Lake Ann Elementary School in the same district, which ranks in the 50th percentile. The most telling comparison is with Bear Lake Elementary School, just 11 miles away, which serves a similar student population but ranks in the 71st percentile with proficiency rates often double or triple those at Betsie Valley. This suggests that while funding is available, the school's challenges may be more deeply rooted in attendance, culture, or instructional strategies.

131

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,578

Per pupil spending ?

71.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

75%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 25% (any vaccine)

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 — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (25% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg27%

Michigan avg38%

1,122^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

440^th of 625Benzie 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
2026	22.9	1122 of 1492	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	41.6	760 of 1352	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	7.1	1171 of 1199	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2025)43rd percentile+23 vs school

Female (2018)17th percentile-21 vs school

White (2026)2nd percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science29%-11 vs state

English Language Arts25%-16 vs state

Math23%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Betsie Valley School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	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%)	22.9	1122^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	24.8%		18.7	1186^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.3%	64	27.8	27.3	19.1		27.8	1377.1	19.1		28.6	1474.9	75%	25%	$18,578	$2,902	$15,677
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%)	67.8	436^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.8%		58.8	581^st of 1488 public elementary schools	61.0%	145	52.4	52.2	60.9	52.4	71.4	60.9	39.1	19.1	47.8	17.4			$23,006	$2,243	$20,763
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%)	24.7	1087^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.1%		22.6	1118^th of 1488 public elementary schools	24.9%	31	35.9	23.1	21.9		41.0	17.9	9.4		28.1	12.5	78.4%	13.5%	$17,529	$1,833	$15,696
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%)	41.7	829^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.4%		45.2	790^th of 1488 public elementary schools	46.9%	39	31.3	39.5	37.3		33.3	42.1	31.4		43.1	15.7	90.3%	9.7%	$17,846	$2,122	$15,724
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%)	46.9	744^th of 1492 public elementary schools	50.1%		51.1	700^th of 1488 public elementary schools	53.0%	44	36.8	26.9	48.6		42.1	19.2	37.1		37.1	31.4	83.3%	16.7%	$16,248	$1,396	$14,851
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%)	20.3	1171^st of 1492 public elementary schools	21.5%		20.5	1150^th of 1488 public elementary schools	22.7%	21	22.7	30.0	36.1	19.1	23.3	15.4	8.3	12.8	30.6	11.1			$14,788	$2,280	$12,508
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%)	80.1	260^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.6%		74.8	339^th of 1488 public elementary schools	77.2%	79	47.5	69.1	59.6		67.2	54.5	55.8		47.1	38.5	92.1%	7.9%	$14,961	$718	$14,243
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%)	20.8	1165^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.9%		25.1	1077^th of 1488 public elementary schools	27.6%	88	23.5	12.9	26.9		32.4	19.4	15.4		30.8	1472.0	83.9%	14.5%	$20,986	$1,971	$19,015
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%)	67.5	442^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	70.4%		73.3	362^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	75.7%	80	31.8	62.9	63.4		38.6	45.7	51.2		56.1	34.1	86.1%	13.9%	$20,207	$1,614	$18,593
Silver Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5858 Culver Rd	Traverse City	49684	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%)	39.8	867^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.9%		50.3	711^th of 1488 public elementary schools	52.2%	156	37.1	29.4	48.5		34.3	19.6	39.4		39.4	21.2	91.2%	8.8%	$15,944	$1,288	$14,656

Frequently Asked Questions about Betsie Valley School

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 24.8% of Michigan elementary schools.

What district is Betsie Valley School in?

Benzie County Central Schools

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.

Rate Betsie Valley School!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

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.