An equity score of 36/100 ranks Benzie County Central Schools #563 of 702 districts in Michigan (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,875 per pupil, Benzie County Central Schools ranks #307 of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending (Michigan districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,236
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$14,875
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Benzie County Central Schools operates 6 public schools serving 1,236 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Benzie County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,875 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 812 Michigan districts by per-pupil spending. See how Michigan compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 60.6% local, 28.0% state, and 11.4% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 36/100, ranked #563 of 702 in Michigan against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 165:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 51.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.1% White, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Crystal Lake Elementary School, with a diversity index of 23.4/100.
Its largest campus is Benzie Central Sr High School, enrolling 292 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Benzie Academy, at 85 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Benzie Central Sr High School accounts for 23.6% of all Benzie County Central Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Benzie County Central Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Benzie County Central Schools school enrollment varies 3.4× across entities
Benzie County Central Schools school enrollment ranges from 85 students (lowest) to 292 students (highest), a spread of 207 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.
Benzie County Central Schools reports 63.7% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Benzie County Central Schools student-counselor ratio is 165:1 — 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.
Benzie County Central Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 51.4% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Benzie County Central Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Michigan
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How many schools are in Benzie County Central Schools?
Benzie County Central Schools has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 1,236 students.
How much does Benzie County Central Schools spend per student?
Benzie County Central Schools spends $14,875 per student. The district has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #563 in Michigan.
What is the demographic composition of Benzie County Central Schools?
Benzie County Central Schools students are 90.1% White, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Benzie County Central Schools?
Benzie County Central Schools has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #563 out of 702 districts in Michigan.