Bentley Community Schools

Bentley Community Schools
Address
1170 N Belsay Road[1]
, Genesee County, Michigan, 48509
United States
Coordinates43°01′24.1″N 83°35′29.8″W / 43.023361°N 83.591611°W / 43.023361; -83.591611
District information
GradesPreKindergarten–12[1]
Established1914[1]
SuperintendentDr. Kristy Spann[2]
Schools4[3]
Budget$12,431,000 2021-2022 expenditures[3]
NCES District ID2604800[3]
Students and staff
Students707 (2024-2025)[3]
Teachers40.43 (on an FTE basis) (2024-2025)[3]
Staff90.52 FTE (2024-2025)[3]
Student–teacher ratio17.49 (2024-2025)[3]
District mascotBulldogs
ColorsRed, White   
Other information
Websitewww.bentleyschools.org

Bentley Community Schools is a public school district in Genesee County, Michigan, in the Genesee Intermediate School District. It serves part of Burton.[4]

History

The district traces its beginnings to 1914, when Seymour Bentley donated land for a one-room schoolhouse.[5] In 1929, the district went from having three teachers to five, and a new seven-room school was under construction to accommodate future growth.[6]

Barhitte Elementary was named for Ruth M. Barhitte, a teacher in the district between 1923 and 1953 who helped organize the parent-teacher association.[7][8]

The current Bentley High School was dedicated on May 25, 1958.[9] The middle school was dedicated on May 7, 1967.[10]

In 2025, voters approved a bond issue to fund the renovation of a small doctors’ office building next to the middle school into a preschool facility. The building had been donated by McLaren Health Care Corporation. Demand for preschool had exceeded the space available in a single classroom at Barhitte Elementary. The new facility, the Little Bulldogs Learning Center, opened in January 2026.[11]

Schools

Schools in Bentley Community Schools district[1][3]
School Address Notes
Bentley High School 1150 N. Belsay Road, Burton Grades 9-12.
Bentley Middle School 1180 N. Belsay Road, Burton Grades 6-8.
Barhitte Elementary 6080 Roberta Street, Burton Grades K-5
Little Bulldogs Learning Center 1198 N Belsay Rd, Bldg #2, Burton Preschool.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bentley Community Schools. "Bentley Community Schools". Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  2. ^ Bentley Community Schools. "Administrators". Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Bentley Community Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
  4. ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Genesee County School Districts (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  5. ^ "The History of Genesee County Cities Part 2 Burton Settled 1829". MyCity.
  6. ^ "New Bentley school". Flint Journal. January 1, 1930. p. 28.
  7. ^ "Bentley schoolteacher to be honored Tuesday". Flint Journal. February 9, 1953. p. 10.
  8. ^ "Bentley approved $500,000 bond issue for school buildings". Flint Journal. October 31, 1956. p. 10.
  9. ^ "Area gets heavy rain after dry spell". Flint Journal. May 24, 1958. p. 10.
  10. ^ "School dedication set at Bentley". Flint Journal. May 5, 1967. p. 57.
  11. ^ Acosta, Roberto (January 18, 2026). "From medical exam rooms to classrooms: New preschool opens at former McLaren site in Burton". MLive.