Summary:
The city of Thompsonville, Michigan is home to a single elementary school, Betsie Valley School, which serves grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 136 students. While the school has a predominantly white student population, it faces challenges with declining academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and a predominantly low-income student body.
Betsie Valley School's academic performance, as measured by M-Step test scores, is generally below the state and Benzie County Central Schools district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 36% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district average of 27.3% and the Michigan state average of 39.6%. The school's ranking among Michigan elementary schools has also dropped significantly in recent years, from 763 out of 1,344 in 2021-2022 to 1,192 out of 1,486 in 2023-2024.
Another area of concern is Betsie Valley School's high chronic absenteeism rate of 44.8% for the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly higher than the state and national averages. Additionally, the school serves a predominantly low-income student population, with 77.94% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. These socioeconomic challenges may be contributing to the school's academic struggles and resource allocation needs.
Thank you for your feedback!