Bessemer Area School District operates 2 public schools serving 359 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Michigan. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 343 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Gogebic County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,922 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 19.7% local, 68.2% state, and 12.1% 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 $65,296 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 52/100, ranked #333 of 756 in Michigan against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 686:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 42.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.3% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools.
Washington School accounts for 52.2% of all Bessemer Area School District student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Bessemer Area School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Bessemer Area School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 61.0% 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 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.
Bessemer Area School District student-counselor ratio is 686:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Bessemer Area School District chronic absenteeism rate is 42.0% — 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 Bessemer Area School District?
Bessemer Area School District has 2 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 359 students.
How much does Bessemer Area School District spend per student?
Bessemer Area School District spends $12,922 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #333 in Michigan.
What is the average teacher salary in Bessemer Area School District?
The average teacher salary in Bessemer Area School District is $65,296 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Bessemer Area School District?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Gogebic County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Bessemer Area School District?
Bessemer Area School District students are 85.3% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Bessemer Area School District?
Bessemer Area School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #333 out of 756 districts in Michigan. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.