Benzie Academy

Summary:

Benzie Academy is a public high school located in Benzonia, Michigan, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 70 students. Despite being part of the Benzie County Central Schools district, Benzie Academy faces significant challenges, with consistently low graduation rates, high dropout and chronic absenteeism rates, and test scores that lag behind the district and state averages.

Benzie Academy's four-year graduation rates have ranged from just 18.5% to 46.6% over the past five years, far below the 80% graduation rate at the nearby Benzie Central Senior High School. The school also has high dropout rates, ranging from 16% to 36.3%, much higher than the 8.3% rate at Benzie Central. Additionally, Benzie Academy struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism, with rates as high as 76.6% over the past four years, compared to 53.6% at Benzie Central.

Benzie Academy's academic performance is also a concern, with test scores consistently lower than the Benzie County Central Schools district and the state of Michigan. In 2023-2024, only 15% of Benzie Academy's 11th-grade students were proficient or better in M-Step/Social Studies, compared to 23.7% for the district and 39.6% for the state. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 71.43% to 77.66% over the past three years, significantly higher than the 59.2% at Benzie Central. While Benzie Academy has a more diverse student population compared to Benzie Central, it spends less per student and has a much higher student-teacher ratio, which may contribute to the school's challenges.

Detail:

Public 6-12

9222 Homestead Rd
Benzonia, MI 49616-9660

(231) 882-4497

District: Benzie County Central Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
640^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,016

Student/teacher ratio: 60.8

Number of students: 70

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.4%

Hispanic:

8.6%

American Indian:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Benzie Academy ranks worse than 86.1% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.92. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Benzie Academy freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (81.4%), Hispanic (8.6%), American Indian (7.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Benzie Academy is 60.8. (See more...)

Compare Benzie Academy employs 1.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Benzie Academy is $6,016.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Benzie Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Benzie Academy 640^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Benzie Academy in the ranking list.)

Benzie County Central Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Benzie County Central Schools 416^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Benzie Academy

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Rank History for all students at Benzie Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2013	9.71	720^th	805	10.6%
2014	10.98	687^th	799	14.0%
2015	14.37	708^th	832	14.9%
2017	15.61	618^th	835	26.0%
2018	11.93	679^th	824	17.6%
2023	30.36	515^th	735	29.9%
2024	13.92	640^th	743	13.9%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Benzie Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.18	646^th	708	8.8%
2023	20.06	539^th	647	16.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Benzie Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2011	35	0	0	4	2	0	41
2012	35	0	0	2	1	0	38
2013	40	0	0	1	5	0	46
2014	45	0	0	2	5	1	53
2015	54	0	0	1	5	0	60
2016	57	1	0	0	5	1	64
2017	55	0	0	0	5	3	63
2018	59	1	0	0	3	2	65
2019	55	1	0	1	2	2	61
2020	44	0	0	4	2	2	52
2021	43	1	0	2	2	1	49
2022	77	1	1	5	8	2	94
2023	57	0	0	6	5	2	70

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Benzie Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	41	1.0	41.0	78
2012	38	1.0	38.0	76.3
2013	46	2.0	23.0	80.4
2014	53	1.8	28.3	66
2015	60	2.0	30.0	71.7
2016	64	1.0	64.0	71.9
2017	63	1.7	36.0	69.8
2018	65	1.5	43.3	75.4
2019	61	1.9	31.6	65.6
2020	52	1.9	27.0	59.6
2021	49	1.5	32.0	71.4
2022	94	1.7	52.5	77.7
2023	70	1.1	60.8	77.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Benzie Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	41	1.0	41.0	78
2012	38	1.0	38.0	76.3
2013	46	2.0	23.0	80.4
2014	53	1.8	28.3	66
2015	60	2.0	30.0	71.7
2016	64	1.0	64.0	71.9
2017	63	1.7	36.0	69.8
2018	65	1.5	43.3	75.4
2019	61	1.9	31.6	65.6
2020	52	1.9	27.0	59.6
2021	49	1.5	32.0	71.4
2022	94	1.7	52.5	77.7
2023	70	1.1	60.8	77.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Benzie Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$430 (10.2%)	$3,776 (89.8%)	$4,206
2020	$592 (12.2%)	$4,256 (87.8%)	$4,849
2021	$35 (0.7%)	$5,010 (99.3%)	$5,045
2022	$48 (1.1%)	$4,300 (98.9%)	$4,349
2023	$2,241 (37.3%)	$3,775 (62.7%)	$6,016

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Benzie Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	61	70	14.8%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	2	5	150%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	1	6	500%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	55	57	3.6%
Two or More Races	2	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	65.6%	77.1%	11.6%

Schools Near Benzie Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)		M-Step Math (2024)		M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Benzie Academy	Public	6-12	9222 Homestead Rd	Benzonia	49616	Benzie County	Benzie County Central Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 882-4497	70	1	60.8	77.1%	57 (81.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	13.9	640^th of 743 public high schools	13.9%		30.4	515^th of 735 public high schools	29.9%	125			28.6									15.0	$6,016	$2,241	$3,775
Benzie Central Senior High School	Public	9-12	9300 Homestead Rd	Benzonia	49616	Benzie County	Benzie County Central Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 882-4497	348	16	22.2	59.2%	306 (87.9%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.4%)	4 (1.1%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	16 (4.6%)	55.2	301^st of 743 public high schools	59.5%		36.3	465^th of 735 public high schools	36.7%	164			55.4	17.9						67.9		26.8	$14,548	$1,314	$13,234
Frankfort High School	Public	6-12	534 11th St	Frankfort	49635	Benzie County	Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 352-4781	215	15	14.7	47.4%	191 (88.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.6%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)	79.9	118^th of 743 public high schools	84.1%		89.3	56^th of 735 public high schools	92.4%	62	60.7	32.1	57.1	45.7	46.5	64.0	41.9	30.8	35.7	45.7	28.6	54.3	$21,137	$1,823	$19,315
Bear Lake High School	Public	7-12	7748 Cody St	Bear Lake	49614	Manistee County	Bear Lake Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 864-3133	127	6	20.8	67.7%	102 (80.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.4	572^nd of 743 public high schools	23.0%		89.1	58^th of 735 public high schools	92.1%	514	46.2	15.4				40.9		50.0	29.6	20.0	22.2	26.7	$13,420	$1,150	$12,270

Frequently Asked Questions about Benzie Academy

What is the racial makeup of Benzie Academy?

Students at Benzie Academy are 81% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% American Indian, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Benzie Academy in?

Benzie County Central Schools

How many students attend Benzie Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 70 students attended Benzie Academy.

Is Benzie Academy a good school?

Benzie Academy ranks in the bottom 13.9% of Michigan high schools.

Rate Benzie Academy!

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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.