The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Science. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bentley Middle School
Bentley Middle School sits on North Belsay Road in Burton, a sprawling suburb of Flint in Genesee County. It is a regular public school serving grades six through eight as part of Bentley Community School District, one of three districts located entirely within the city of Burton. The school is small for its grade band, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the three grades, which means students move through a tight-knit peer environment where cohorts know one another well.
The student body is predominantly white, with a Black population and a Hispanic population of meaningful size, plus a small number of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available in the provided records, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
Academic results from the most recent state testing cycle paint a mixed picture that varies sharply by grade and subject. In math, proficiency is very low across all three grades, with sixth and seventh graders showing near-zero proficiency on the M-STEP and eighth graders faring only somewhat better on the PSAT. English language arts follows a similar pattern in the lower grades but diverges dramatically by eighth grade, where a strong majority of students met proficiency on the PSAT. That eighth-grade ELA result stands out as a clear strength, suggesting that something in the upper-grade instruction or preparation is resonating. Science and social studies results for eighth grade land in a moderate range, with roughly four in ten students proficient in science and a slightly smaller share in social studies. Across all tested subjects and grades, Bentley's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among districts in Genesee County, which is a reasonably encouraging position given the low math results pulling the average down. A parent weighing this school may want to look into the math instruction and supports more closely with the school, since the gap between math and ELA outcomes is wide.
Trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time. Participation rates were also missing from the data, so the completeness of testing cannot be confirmed. No chronic absenteeism figures were provided, and because this is a middle school, graduation rate does not apply to this entity.
The surrounding community of Burton is car-dependent and suburban, with no traditional walkable downtown. Civic life centers on a municipal campus on South Center Road that houses City Hall, police administration, public works, and a veterans memorial. Burton's park system is a genuine asset for families, including Kelly Lake Park with its lake and trails, the passive Settlement Park along Thread Creek, and the For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum. The city has experienced a modest population decline in recent years, but it has also invested in infrastructure, including a transition to Karegnondi Water Authority supply.
Housing in the area is affordable by both state and national standards. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below the Michigan state benchmark and roughly half the national figure, making this one of the more accessible entry points to homeownership in Genesee County. The broader county market shows rising listing prices and homes moving at a moderate pace.
At the district level, a publicly reported bond issue passed in 2025 funded the renovation of a donated medical office building adjacent to the middle school into a dedicated preschool facility called the Little Bulldogs Learning Center, which opened in early 2026. This expanded early childhood capacity for the district, addressing demand that a single elementary classroom had not been able to meet. For families thinking about the longer pathway through Bentley schools, that investment signals attention to the early grades feeding into the middle school.
No course access data, staffing figures, discipline records, or program offerings were available in the provided material, so those dimensions of the school experience cannot be assessed here. What the data does show is a small, community-rooted middle school with a real strength in upper-grade literacy, a pronounced struggle in math, and an affordable, park-rich suburban setting for families who want space and access to nature without the cost pressures of trendier markets.
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