Lake Ann Elementary School

Set in INTERLOCHEN, Michigan, Lake Ann Elementary School is a cozy K-5 school, part of Benzie County Central Schools. It hosts 180 students across grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 369 students per school, that is 51% below typical.

Lake Ann Elementary School is one of 6 schools operated by Benzie County Central Schools, a district that teaches 1,136 students overall.

On demographics, Lake Ann Elementary School reports that nearly all students (93%) are White. Other groups include 3% multiracial, 2% Hispanic. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, Lake Ann Elementary School reports 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.8:1. The state averages around 15.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 50% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Lake Ann Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 50.2%.

Zooming out to the county, Benzie County reports that median household earnings sit near $74,834, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Benzie County runs 7 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,493 students), of which Lake Ann Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Westwoods Elementary School, around 4.2 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 5 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Lake Ann Elementary School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 42.4%.

The school occupies a low-density site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Lake Ann Elementary School has shrank 23%, going from 234 students in 2018 to 180 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 18.7:1 in 2018 to 13.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.