Summary:
Zip code 48529 is home to just one high school, Bendle High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 within the Bendle Public Schools district, enrolling 307 students in an area where nearly 90% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Bendle High School is facing serious academic and attendance challenges. The school holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 20th percentile statewide (640th out of 800 Michigan high schools), a slight improvement from last year but a significant drop from two years ago. Proficiency rates are deeply concerning: only 9.4% of 11th graders are proficient in science, 25.9% in SAT reading and writing, and just 10.1% of 9th graders are proficient in math—all far below state averages. The most critical issue, however, is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 53.4%, nearly double the state average of 27.9%. This directly impacts learning, and while the graduation rate of 83.1% is close to the state average, the dropout rate of 9.8% is higher than the state's 7.1%.
On a more positive note, the school spends a substantial $16,285 per student, and 11th-grade social studies proficiency (35.3%) is only about 8 points behind the state, suggesting a potential area of strength. The school also saw a slight rebound in its ranking this year after a steep decline, offering a glimmer of recovery. However, the stark reality is that financial investment alone isn't translating into competitive test scores. For parents, this data suggests that Bendle High School is a high-poverty institution where addressing the root causes of absenteeism and providing targeted academic interventions will be essential for improvement. The school's strengths in social studies and its near-average graduation rate provide a foundation, but significant work lies ahead to close the wide achievement gaps in core subjects.
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