Benton Harbor Area Schools operates 6 public schools serving 1,448 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 2 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,227 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Berrien County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,315 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 34.8% local, 35.5% state, and 29.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $45,954 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 48/100, ranked #398 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 237.3:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 95.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.6% African American, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% White across the district's schools.
Benton Harbor High School accounts for 38.2% of all Benton Harbor Area Schools student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Benton Harbor Area 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.
Benton Harbor Area Schools school enrollment varies 7.9× across entities
Benton Harbor Area Schools school enrollment ranges from 59 students (lowest) to 469 students (highest), a spread of 410 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Benton Harbor Area Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 95.0% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants 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.
Benton Harbor Area Schools student-counselor ratio is 237:1 — 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.
Benton Harbor Area Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 95.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Benton Harbor Area Schools has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 2 elementary, 2 other. Total enrollment is 1,448 students.
How much does Benton Harbor Area Schools spend per student?
Benton Harbor Area Schools spends $17,315 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #398 in Michigan.
What is the average teacher salary in Benton Harbor Area Schools?
The average teacher salary in Benton Harbor Area Schools is $45,954 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Benton Harbor Area Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Berrien County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Benton Harbor Area Schools students are 90.6% African American, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% White, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Benton Harbor Area Schools has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #398 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.