Bendle Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Burton, Michigan - 4 schools

An equity score of 81/100 ranks Bendle Public Schools #17 of 707 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,860 per pupil, Bendle Public Schools ranks #142 of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,047
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$14,860
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bendle Public Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,047 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Genesee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,860 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 821 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 16.6% local, 60.1% state, and 23.2% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 81/100, ranked #17 of 707 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 216.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 67.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.7% White, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bendle Middle School, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.

Its largest campus is Bendle High School, enrolling 307 students (31% of the district's total enrollment).

Bendle High School accounts for 29.3% of all Bendle Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Bendle Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bendle Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 88.2% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Bendle Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 216:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Bendle Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 67.8% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

23.2%
Federal
60.1%
State
16.6%
Local

Funding Equity

81
Equity Score
17 / 707
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Bendle Public Schools.

White 69.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
African American 8.8%
Multiracial 11.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 48.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Bendle Public Schools's schools, above the Michigan average of 36.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Bendle Middle School 51.6
  2. 2 Bendle High School 50.6
  3. 3 South Bendle Elementary School 46.0
  4. 4 West Bendle Elementary School 44.9

Programs & Resources

216.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
67.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Bendle Public Schools

School Enrollment
Bendle High School
307
South Bendle Elementary School
246
Bendle Middle School
219
West Bendle Elementary School
209

How Bendle Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Michigan districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Lawton Community School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Lakeview Community Schools (Montcalm) Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Mcbain Rural Agricultural Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ravenna Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Morley Stanwood Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Bendle Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Michigan

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Utica Community Schools
25,744 students · 38 schools · $12,513/pupil
Compare vs Bendle Public Schools →
Dearborn City School District
20,128 students · 37 schools · $16,677/pupil
Compare vs Bendle Public Schools →
Ann Arbor Public Schools
17,026 students · 32 schools · $17,642/pupil
Compare vs Bendle Public Schools →
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
16,294 students · 25 schools · $13,630/pupil
Compare vs Bendle Public Schools →

Compare Bendle Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Detroit Public Schools Community District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Bendle Public Schools?

Bendle Public Schools has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,047 students.

How much does Bendle Public Schools spend per student?

Bendle Public Schools spends $14,860 per student. The district has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #17 in Michigan.

What is the demographic composition of Bendle Public Schools?

Bendle Public Schools students are 69.7% White, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bendle Public Schools?

Bendle Public Schools has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #17 out of 707 districts in Michigan.