Beaver Island Community School

Beaver Island Community Schools
Address
37895 Kings Highway[1]
Beaver Island
, Charlevoix, Michigan, 49782
United States
District information
MottoCustomized learning in a unique island community.[2]
GradesPre-Kindergarten-12
SuperintendentWil Cwikiel[3]
Schools1[4]
Budget$2,328,000 2021-2022 expenditures[4]
NCES District ID2604350[4]
Students and staff
Students50 (2024-2025)[4]
Teachers8.66 (on an FTE basis) (2024-2025)[4]
Staff19.18 FTE (2024-2025)[4]
Student–teacher ratio5.77 (2024-2025)[4]
Other information
Websitewww.beaverisland.k12.mi.us

Beaver Island Community School is a public school district in Charlevoix County, Michigan. It serves Peaine Township and St. James Township, which are located on Beaver Island.[5]

The district consists of a single school serving all grades. Wil Cwikiel, the superintendent, also serves as the school's principal.[1] The school has 50 students[4] as of the 2024-2025 school year, down from 96 students during the 1999-2000 school year[6] due to declining birth rates. A unique challenge for the school is that due to its small size, small fluctuations in enrollment have a large impact on funding.[7] The school board has seven members elected to four-year terms.[6]

History

The district was founded in 1898.[8] At one time, there were two one-room schoolhouses in the district, but the schools consolidated in town around the mid-20th Century. Because few teachers would live on such a remote island, Catholic nuns were employed by the school, although instruction was secular. In 1974, the school hired the first full-time teacher who was not a nun. By that time, the school board planned to ultimately replace the nuns with lay teachers.[9]

As of 1985, honor-roll students with perfect attendance were treated to McDonald's hamburgers four times a year, but the meals had to be flown in from Charlevoix.[8]

In 2007, voters approved a nearly $4 million bond issue to build an addition and improve the school building.[10]

Historic enrollment

  • 1956: 4 graduates.[11]
  • 1962: 64 students.[12]
  • 1974: 55 students, including 7 seniors.[9]
  • 1983: 65 students and 5 full-time teachers.[13]
  • 1985: 75 in September, 63 in June.[8]
  • 1999: 96 students[6]
  • 2024-2025: 50 students[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Beaver Island Community School. "Beaver Island Community School". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  2. ↑ Land Information Access Association. "Beaver Island Master Plan 2023" (PDF). Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  3. ↑ Beaver Island Community School. "Staff". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Beaver Island Community School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
  5. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Charlevoix County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Ballotpedia. "Beaver Island Community School". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Capitol quips". Grand Rapids Press. March 11, 2002. p. D4.
  8. 1 2 3 Ashton, Dixie (June 2, 1985). "Small town graduates". Grand Rapids Press. p. 32.
  9. 1 2 Clock, Bob (September 4, 1974). "Beaver Island gets first full-time lay teacher". Petoskey News-Review. p. 30.
  10. ↑ Michigan Department of Treasury. "2007 STATE QUALIFIED SCHOOL BOND ELECTION RESULTS". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The Beaver Beacon" (PDF). The Beaver Beacon. June 1956. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "School to graduate two". Escanaba Daily Press. May 26, 1962. p. 1.
  13. ↑ McKesson, Michael (March 13, 1983). "32 miles of watery isolation separate Beaver Island from the rest of the U.S.". Ann Arbor News. p. 18.
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