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 Benzie
County Central Schools
Annual
Report
2007-20089222
Homestead Road
Benzonia, Michigan 49616
(231) 882-9653
Dave Micinski, Superintendent
www.benzie.k12.mi.us |
 The mission of the Benzie County
Central School Community is to provide a safe learning environment that motivates all students to reach
their highest potential by providing the necessary skills to become life long learners and leaders in a
changing society. |
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District
Points of Pride
- Benzie is working
hard to create a well-rounded program designed for all students from
struggling to gifted taught by instructors who excel in their fields.
- Benzie offers both
honors courses and basic reading courses. The latter is designed to
help students who struggle with language arts allows us to service all
children
- The district is on
the forefront of curriculum planning to ensure K-12 curriculum is well
designed and mapped for consistency across the district.
- The district is being
trained in the area of Professional Learning Communities which are designed
to ensure that no child is left behind and provides innovative interventions
for learning.
- The district has two excellent school-to-work opportunities
by offering a building trades program in which students completely build a home that is then put on the market at
the end of the year and an agricultural mechanics class that teaches students small engine repair among other things.
- Early release days were used to work on accreditation and school improvement.
- All of the district’s schools had a morning breakfast program.
- The district helps
maintain a cardboard recycling trailer, with several school groups adopting
the trailer for the month and earning the proceeds.
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Top |
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BCCS
Education Foundation
The Benzie
County Central Schools Educational Foundation’s purpose is to operate as a
charitable and educational organization whose sole objective is to receive
funds, and real and personal property, and thereafter manage, administer,
and disperse monies for the benefit of students and the general public
within Benzie County Central Schools. Incorporated in 1990 as a
nonprofit tax-exempt organization, the Benzie County Central Schools
Educational Foundation is independent of the school. The foundation is
governed by a board of directors serving without pay. This board coordinates
talent and funds in the form of grants and scholarships to carry out the
foundation’s purposes. The Foundation generates additional funds for various
programs and scholarships through their annual golf outing.
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District
Staff
David Micinski, Superintendent
Carol Siderman, Administrative Assistant
Richard Hewer, Director of Finance
Diane Fernelius, Payroll Clerk
Jennifer Mitchell, Accounts Payable & Insurance Clerk
Renee DeWindt, Food Service Director
Randall Miller, Director of Transportation,
Mike Zielinski, Director of Operations
Stephanie Johnston, Information Specialist & Webmaster
Teaching Staff
Masters Degree+
Masters
Degrees
Bachelors Degree +
Bachelors
Degrees |
103.5
1
43
44
16
|
|
Support Staff
Secretaries
Parapros
Custodians
Cooks
Bus Drivers
Bus Aides
Bus Mechanics
Dispatcher |
8
24
14
12
28
1
2
1
|
Administration
Superintendent
Principals
Director of Student Services
Athletic Director
Trans. Director
Operations
CBO Staff |
1
5.5
1
1
1
1
4
|
Guidance
Counselors |
4
|
The Benzie faculty currently has 103.5 members. Of these staff
members, 16 have BA degrees, 31 have at least 20 hours beyond the
BA, 13 have 30 hours beyond the BA, 43 hold MA degrees, 1 has at least 15 hours beyond the MA.
The seniority of the Benzie faculty extends 40 years. All Benzie County
Central School staff are certified and highly qualified as required
by No Child Left Behind.
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Board
of Education
PRESIDENT
Katherine Ross, 2009
6866 Crystal Ave.
Beulah, MI 49617
Phone: 231-882-5913VICE-PRESIDENT
Jim Sheets; 2008
953 Orchard,
Benzonia, MI 49616
Phone: 231-882-4358
SECRETARY
Lynette Grimes, 2010
PO Box 136
Benzonia, MI 49616
Phone: 231-882-9154
TREASURER
Pam Schneider, 2010
1075 Lake Street
Benzonia, MI 49616
Phone: 231-882-7118
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to Top |
TRUSTEE
Michael Worden; 2009
9877 Covey Rd.
Beulah, MI 49617
Phone: 231-325-8450
TRUSTEE
Kim Lathwell, 2008
6358 Mitchell Rd.
Frankfort, MI 49635
Phone: 231-882-1398
TRUSTEE
Michelle Carnes, 2011
PO Box 115
Benzonia, MI 49616
Phone: 231-882-5797 |
Parents
help staff the
Friday Popcorn Sales at Lake Ann Elementary. |
Parental
Involvement & Community Support
Elementary parent-teacher organizations provided funds for assemblies, field
trips, and individual classroom activities. Local contractors and several businesses donated time and
materials for various projects and rewards.
Parents volunteered to work at book fairs, school carnivals,
track & field days, ice cream socials, school bazaars; in the classroom; on the playground; and with school programs.
Additionally, they volunteered to chaperone field trips and community businesses invited students to visit on field trips.
Parents and community members saved ‘box tops for education’ and Campbell’s
soup labels for additional school funds.
Community members served as story tellers,
reading buddies, career speakers, organizers of a district-wide ski program, hosts of water
quality walks, and coaches of after-school sports.
Community service organizations sponsored such programs as the Reading is
Fundamental program, Kiwanis Terrific Kids program, and Subway certificates.
|
Fall
Parent/Teacher Conference Attendance |
| School |
Enrollment |
% Attending |
| Betsie Valley |
182 |
93% |
| Crystal Lake |
214 |
94% |
| Lake Ann |
258 |
97.3% |
| Platte River |
311 |
89% |
| Middle School |
259 |
85% |
| High School |
650 |
79% |
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Top
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Communication
Benzie County Central Schools communicates with parents and community
through: Radio/TV: WBNZ (99.3 FM) broadcasts athletic
events and informs the community of school activities. Stations 9 & 10 in Cadillac and 7 & 4 in Traverse City
provide coverage of various school events. Report Cards: Sent home every nine weeks. Newspapers:
(Benzie County Record Patriot, The Traverse City Record Eagle, and The Advisor) Press releases and periodic news items
are sent to the local papers by staff. The district also employs a part-time public relations specialist.
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Curriculum
The Michigan Curriculum Frameworks document continues to be the guide
Benzie County Central Schools uses when creating and modifying the curriculum.
We use the curriculum mapping process to write our curriculum which means we are aligned with the Michigan Frameworks.
-
Elementary -- All core curricular
areas (language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music & physical education) have been
mapped. We will continue to meet by grade level to update our maps on a yearly basis.
-
Middle School -- most core
curricular areas have been mapped, the remainder will be finished next year.
-
High School -- some core curriculum areas have been mapped, mostly the primary
courses taught by teachers. Others continue to be worked upon.
The Benzie County Central Schools offers the following curriculum K-6:
Language Arts, Math, Science, Health, Physical Education, Social Studies, Art, Music, and Computer Literacy. Band is offered to all 6th grade students.
The 7th and 8th grade curriculum includes the following: Language Arts, Math, Science, Health, Physical Education, Social Studies, Band, and Art.
The 9-12 grade curriculum includes the following: Language Arts, Math, Science, Health, Physical Education, Social Studies, French, Spanish, Music,
Band, Art, Computer Science, Vocational Education and Occupational Education.
Benzie County Central Schools has a
District Curriculum Council that reviews, revises, and proposes curriculum to the Board of Education. The Curriculum
Council is composed of teachers, parents, and administrators representing a cross section of the district.
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Special
Programs
At the Elementary Level
- The Young 5’s program is offered as a
kindergarten readiness option. Children who attend this program enter kindergarten the following year.
- Title 1, a federally funded program,
offered assistance to students in grades 1-6.
- All fifth grade students are
taught about puberty in the fall.
- A Latch-Key Program was available
before and after school at Lake Ann, after school at Platte River and Crystal Lake.
At the Middle School Level
-
Bridges program created a homeschool
connection for students in grades 4-8.
-
Instead Club, sponsored by the MSU
Extension Office, provides after-school activities for students in grades 5-8.
- Northwestern Michigan College
offered ‘commitment scholarships’ to two 7th grade students who met certain criteria throughout their high school
career.
- Extra-curricular sports offerings
included football, boys’ & girls’ basketball, cross country, soccer,
cheerleading, track, wrestling, skiing, baseball
and volleyball.
- The At-Risk program continued in
grades 7-12.
At the High School Level
- Each student works with a teacher as a
mentor.
- Advanced Placement courses, which
can result in college credit based on test performance, are offered to high school students who meet specific
criteria.
- CLOSE-UP, a national government
workshop in Washington, DC, is offered to 11th grade students.
- At-Risk programs provide teachers,
paraprofessionals, and high school mentors to offer assistance in reading and math during school, after school,
and during the summer.
At All Schools . . .
- Special education services are available.
- The counseling department teaches
career awareness and makes available to parents brochures on social and drug
awareness issues.
- Programs offered for high ability and
high potential students include: Odyssey of the Mind (grades 4-8), Science Olympiad (grades
9-12).
- An Accelerated Reader program is
used to encourage recreational reading.
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Special
Schools
Through the services of the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District,
Benzie County Central Schools is able to offer many specialized programs for students with special needs. Some of the more specialized programs include the
following:
- The Adult Work Center trains students to live independently.
- Cherry Knoll Annex provides programs for severely impaired children
and New Campus serves students, ages 5 to 25, who have severe emotional impairments.
- The Early On Program provides home training and other family services
for children ages 3 and under with special needs.
- Early Childhood Program, conducted in a district elementary
school, stresses appropriate learning experiences and activities consistent with a cognitive developmental model.
- The Northern Lights Alternative School serves students in grades 9-12
who are unable to be successful in the traditional school environment.
- TBA Career Tech Center and Michigan Technical Education Center
(MTEC), provide learning experiences in the application of academics to technology.
- TBAISD provides a virtual high school program. This is an on-line
program of high school courses that provides many options to traditional and
nontraditional students.
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Way
To Grow
This program is funded through a grant from the State of Michigan administered
by the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD). All of the elementary schools within the TBAISD are staffed with a
School Readiness Coordinator. The purpose of this program is to bring families with young children, ages 0-5, into the school.
This program gives parents and children a chance to interact with school personnel and to make them
feel more comfortable with the school environment. Benzie’s School Readiness Coordinator (SRC)
is Dale Jeske. Throughout the school year the SRC’s have scheduled individual home visits;
school specific playgroups, story times, and special events.
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Area
Statistics
Benzie County Central Schools is a consolidated K-12 district with a land area of 468 square
miles, located in parts of four counties: Benzie, Manistee, Grand Traverse, and Wexford.
The
2007-2008 school enrollment was 1937
pupils. The four elementary schools are Betsie Valley, which is located on Cadillac Highway between the
villages of Copemish and Thompsonville; Crystal Lake, in Benzonia; Platte River, in Honor;
and Lake Ann, in Almira Township, on Bronson Lake Road. The middle/senior high school is located on
Homestead Road between the villages of Honor and Benzonia. The school district is located in a beautiful section of northwestern Michigan and
includes more than 50 inland lakes; Crystal Lake, the two Platte Lakes, and Lake
Ann are the most prominent. Also, approximately ten miles of Lake Michigan shoreline is located on the Northwest boundary of the school district. The area
has some of the best recreational facilities in Michigan for year-round enjoyment.
The population of the area triples during the summer months. The economy of Benzie County is mainly resort. The agricultural product is fruit, with cherries
and apples the main orchard crops. Some small industries are located in the area,
principally south of Benzonia and in Copemish.
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Student
Statistics
| School |
Grades
|
Students
|
| Betsie Valley |
K-5
|
183 |
| Crystal Lake |
Y5, K-5
|
233 |
| Lake Ann |
K-5
|
261 |
| Platte River |
Y5, K-6
|
351 |
| Middle School |
7 & 8
|
259 |
| High School |
9 - 12
|
650 |
| Total |
---
|
1937*
|
* includes 17 migrants and 18 ECP students
During the
2007-2008 school year,
the graduation rate was 84.59%. Forty percent of Benzie
County Central School students received free lunches and 14% receive reduced lunches.
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Explanation
of MEAP
The English Language Arts (ELA) MEAP test was a new method of scoring
implemented in 02-03 that responded to the federal mandate titled No Child Left Behind
(NCLB). The ELA score reflects a combination of the student’s reading and writing
scores. Beginning in the 05-06 school year, all grades 3rd-11th were tested in
both ELA and mathematics. As part of the NCLB requirements,
each level will be obligated to hit a “target” score established by the State of Michigan
which means a student needs to test at either Level 1 or Level 2.
Another part of the NCLB mandate required states to also set targets for scoring in the area of
mathematics. Targets for each subject set by the State are different from level-to-level. Eventually,
the targets for each grade level must be 100% of all students in all subjects by the 2013-14 school year.
Percentages listed are the percentage of students who
tested at Level 1 and Level 2. These students were considered 'proficient'
in the subject area. Additionally, disaggregated MEAP data can be found
here (third grade, fourth grade,
fifth grade, sixth grade,
seventh grade, eighth grade,
ninth grade).
Elementary
MEAP Results & Trends
3rd Grade
Math |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall
2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
96.4% |
92% |
92% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
85.2% |
93% |
93% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
95.5% |
97% |
98% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
87.5% |
97% |
94% |
| District |
Not tested |
91.4% |
95% |
95% |
| State |
Not tested |
87.1% |
88% |
90% |
3rd Grade
Reading |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall
2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
89.3% |
92% |
81% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
77.8% |
100% |
93% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
88.6% |
100% |
96% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
84.6% |
89% |
91% |
| District |
Not tested |
88.5% |
96% |
91% |
| State |
Not tested |
86.6% |
87% |
86% |
3rd Grade
Writing |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
60.7% |
54% |
54% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
66.7% |
68% |
67% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
47.7% |
71% |
53% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
43.6% |
47% |
51% |
| District |
Not tested |
50.4% |
61% |
56% |
| State |
Not tested |
51.5% |
52% |
57% |
3rd Grade
ELA |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
78.6% |
88% |
69% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
74.1% |
93% |
93% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
88.6% |
100% |
88% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
74.4% |
87% |
86% |
| District |
Not tested |
81.3% |
92% |
85% |
| State |
Not tested |
77.9% |
79% |
81% |
4th Grade
Reading |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
79% |
90.6% |
88% |
96% |
| Crystal
Lake |
56% |
75.9% |
81% |
90% |
| Lake
Ann |
96% |
98% |
93% |
100% |
| Platte
River |
91% |
82.9% |
75% |
92% |
| District |
91% |
92% |
85% |
94% |
|
State |
82% |
83.2% |
85% |
84% |
4th Grade
Writing |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
62% |
81.3% |
59% |
35% |
| Crystal
Lake |
6% |
51.7% |
54% |
54% |
| Lake
Ann |
55% |
68.6% |
44% |
75% |
| Platte
River |
33% |
48.6% |
31% |
38% |
| District |
47% |
68.7% |
47% |
52% |
| State |
46% |
54.8% |
45% |
44% |
4th Grade
ELA |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
67%
|
93.5% |
88% |
78% |
| Crystal
Lake |
19%
|
62.1% |
77% |
88% |
| Lake
Ann |
89%
|
90.2% |
85% |
100% |
| Platte
River |
73%
|
74.3% |
72% |
79% |
| District |
80% |
87.9% |
81% |
87% |
| State |
69% |
75.6% |
78% |
76% |
4th Grade
Math |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
54% |
87.5% |
88% |
96% |
| Crystal
Lake |
82% |
96.6% |
85% |
93% |
| Lake
Ann |
79% |
96.1% |
90% |
100% |
| Platte
River |
91% |
83.3% |
76% |
85% |
| District |
81% |
90.7% |
85% |
93% |
| State |
73% |
81.7% |
85% |
86% |
5th Grade
Science |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
93%
|
100% |
88% |
88% |
| Crystal
Lake |
89%
|
50% |
100% |
96% |
| Lake
Ann |
84%
|
88.9% |
98% |
92% |
| Platte
River |
89%
|
85.7% |
87% |
79% |
| District |
88% |
91.6% |
94% |
88% |
| State |
79% |
76.8% |
83% |
82% |
5th Grade
Math |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
69.2% |
92% |
80% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
68.8% |
91% |
87% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
84.4% |
86% |
92% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
85.7% |
81% |
76% |
| District |
Not tested |
83.2% |
87% |
83% |
| State |
Not tested |
73.4% |
76% |
74% |
5th Grade
Reading |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
84.6% |
92% |
88% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
68.8% |
94% |
83% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
91.1% |
100% |
92% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
88.6% |
87% |
80% |
| District |
Not tested |
88.5% |
94% |
86% |
| State |
Not tested |
80.0% |
84% |
82% |
5th Grade
Writing |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
65.4% |
84% |
80% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
50% |
72% |
61% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
66.7% |
67% |
63% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
77.1% |
68% |
49% |
| District |
Not tested |
67.7% |
72% |
61% |
| State |
Not tested |
62.9% |
74% |
59% |
5th Grade
ELA |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| Betsie
Valley |
Not tested |
73.1% |
88% |
88% |
| Crystal
Lake |
Not tested |
62.5% |
94% |
74% |
| Lake
Ann |
Not tested |
84.4% |
96% |
92% |
| Platte
River |
Not tested |
82.9% |
84% |
71% |
| District |
Not tested |
83.1% |
91% |
81% |
| State |
Not tested |
74.9% |
78% |
78% |
6th Grade
Math |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
78.3% |
80% |
81% |
| State |
Not tested |
65.1% |
69% |
73% |
6th Grade
Reading |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
83.2% |
88% |
90% |
| State |
Not tested |
79.6% |
83% |
82% |
6th Grade
Writing |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
83.2% |
75% |
75% |
| State |
Not tested |
74.8% |
74% |
73% |
6th Grade
ELA |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
82.5% |
84% |
86% |
| State |
Not tested |
76.7% |
78% |
80% |
6th Grade
Social Studies |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
85.6% |
85% |
Not tested |
| State |
Not tested |
78.3% |
74% |
Not tested |
|
Back to Top
Middle
School MEAP Results & Trends
7th Grade
Reading |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
67% |
76.9% |
76% |
79% |
| State |
73% |
75.8% |
80% |
72% |
7th Grade
Writing |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
40% |
67.9% |
66% |
75% |
| State |
53% |
66.7% |
65% |
77% |
7th Grade
ELA |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
73.7% |
74% |
79% |
| State |
Not tested |
72.8% |
76% |
74% |
7th Grade
Math |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
73% |
69% |
79% |
| State |
Not tested |
59.6% |
64% |
73% |
8th Grade
Science |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
74% |
79.4% |
85% |
85% |
| State |
64% |
76.8% |
75% |
79% |
8th Grade
Reading |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
63.7% |
84% |
70% |
| State |
Not tested |
72.9% |
76% |
77% |
8th Grade
Writing |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
55.9% |
54% |
61% |
| State |
Not tested |
64.7% |
67% |
70% |
8th Grade
ELA |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
59.2% |
71% |
69% |
| State |
Not tested |
69.4% |
71% |
75% |
8th Grade
Math |
2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
73% |
66.1% |
79% |
79% |
| State |
62% |
63.2% |
68% |
72% |
|
Back to Top
High
School MEAP Results & Trends
9th Grade
Social Studies |
Spring 2005 |
Fall 2005 |
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
| District |
Not tested |
74.7% |
77% |
78% |
| State |
Not tested |
74.6% |
74% |
71% |
MI Merit Exam
Reading |
Class of 2008
(tested Spring 2007) |
Class of 2009
(tested Spring 2008) |
| District |
61% |
52% |
| State |
60% |
62% |
MI Merit Exam
Writing |
Class of 2008
(tested Spring 2007) |
Class of 2009
(tested Spring 2008) |
| District |
36% |
29% |
| State |
40% |
41% |
MI Merit Exam
ELA |
Class of 2008
(tested Spring 2007) |
Class of 2009
(tested Spring 2008) |
| District |
47% |
40% |
| State |
51% |
52% |
MI Merit Exam
Science |
Class of 2008
(tested Spring 2007) |
Class of 2009
(tested Spring 2008) |
| District |
59% |
55% |
| State |
56% |
57% |
MI Merit Exam
Social Studies |
Class of 2008
(tested Spring 2007) |
Class of 2009
(tested Spring 2008) |
| District |
93% |
80% |
| State |
83% |
80% |
MI Merit Exam
Math |
Class of 2008
(tested Spring 2007) |
Class of 2009
(tested Spring 2008) |
| District |
51% |
42% |
| State |
46% |
46% |
|
