Beal City Public Schools, MI

Original Research by School Decision on Beal City Public Schools

Beal City Public Schools is a small, rural district in Isabella County, Michigan, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade across two buildings: Beal City Elementary School and Beal City High School, the latter of which also appears to serve middle-grade students given the assessment data. The enrollment is modest, with roughly forty to sixty students per grade level. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education rates, and English learner populations was not available, so those dimensions of student need are hard to assess from what the state reports.

Academically, the district presents a mixed but generally solid picture on Michigan's M-STEP and PSAT assessments. In mathematics, proficiency rates across grades three through eight sit in a moderate range, with the strongest showing in eighth grade, where nearly half of tested students reached proficiency. The lower elementary grades are weaker, with fourth grade the lowest. English language arts results show considerable variation from grade to grade. Third and fourth grade proficiency is low, dipping well below where most families would want to see early literacy. Fifth grade rebounds strongly, seventh dips again, and eighth grade stands out as a clear strength, with a large majority of students proficient on the PSAT. Science and social studies results land in a moderate middle band across the two tested grades. Taken together, the district's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Isabella County's districts, which is a reasonably strong standing in a small county cohort.

A parent noticing the weak early-elementary ELA numbers may want to look into this further with the school, particularly to understand what literacy interventions are in place for the primary grades. The contrast between those lower early scores and the strong eighth-grade results suggests the district may be doing better at building skills over time than at the entry point, but the data alone cannot confirm that pattern.

Chronic absenteeism in the district is below the county median, which is a positive sign for student engagement and attendance. Per-pupil spending sits in the upper range among Isabella County districts, suggesting the district directs a reasonable level of resources toward each student. A graduation rate was not available in the data provided, so it is not possible to characterize how the district performs on that measure. Given the district's small size, a missing graduation figure may reflect reporting thresholds or data collection timing rather than any problem, but the gap is worth noting.

On the facilities side, publicly reported information indicates that a bond issue passed in 2023 to fund building additions at the shared school facility serving both the elementary and the middle/high school. This represents a lasting infrastructure investment that should affect all district students in the coming years.

The housing market in the area is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. District-weighted home values sit well below the Michigan average and far below the national figure, with recent year-over-year appreciation that suggests the market is growing but still accessible. Renting is modestly cheaper than carrying a mortgage at current rates, though the difference is small enough that the decision likely comes down to personal circumstances. The price-to-income ratio is favorable, and rent burden is low by national standards. Housing data draws from zip codes including Mount Pleasant, Farwell, and Rosebush, with the largest share of district housing weight in the Mount Pleasant area. No locale brief was provided for the individual communities within the district, so a detailed picture of town-level character and amenities is not available here.

State testing trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether proficiency is improving or declining over time. Program offerings, course access details, staffing ratios, and discipline data were also absent from what was provided. Families considering Beal City would benefit from asking the district directly about advanced coursework, career and technical education pathways, extracurricular offerings, and support services, since none of that information appears in the available data.

What the evidence does show is a small, close-knit rural district with moderate academic results that trend stronger in the upper grades, manageable absenteeism, solid per-pupil investment, a recent facilities upgrade on the way, and an affordable housing backdrop. For families drawn to a smaller school environment where students are likely to be known across grade levels, this is a reasonable starting point, with the caveat that early literacy is an area worth probing before enrolling younger children.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

665

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 2%

Black 1%

White 92%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 3%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

17%

32%

Gr 4

26%

29%

Gr 5

43%

52%

Gr 6

33%

38%

Gr 7

—

39%

Gr 8

50%

86%

Math

Gr 3

28%

56%

Gr 4

13%

52%

Gr 5

29%

41%

Gr 6

—

48%

Gr 7

—

52%

Gr 8

29%

55%

Science

Gr 5

43%

52%

Gr 8

36%

47%

Social studies

Gr 5

36%

41%

Gr 8

43%

49%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

Beal City Elementary School

Beal City High School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

44%

Grade 3

32%

Grade 4

37%

Grade 5

39%

Grade 6

44%

Grade 7

49%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

26%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

49%

Grade 5

37%

Grade 6

33%

Grade 7

79%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

49%

Grade 5

45%

Grade 8

Social Studies

2 grades reported

39%

Grade 5

48%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$225,960

Year-over-year change+6.2%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$205K to $229K

vs. state typical0.86x

vs. national typical0.61x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
48858	Mount Pleasant	$226K	+6.8%	59.7%
48893		$229K	+4.7%	32.0%
48622	Farwell	$205K	+8.5%	5.0%
48878	Rosebush	$226K	+7.5%	3.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,083/mo

Year-over-year change+11.1%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
48858	Mount Pleasant	$1,083	+11.1%	59.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,140/mo

Home price / national median income2.7x

Annual rent / national median income15.5%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$57/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$263,590 (+4.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.