Besser Elementary

Besser Elementary School is located in the City of Alpena in northeastern Michigan. We are one of six elementary schools currently operated by the Alpena Public School District.

Besser serves a population of approximately 375 K-5 students from the City and Township of Alpena.  About 16% of our students attend Besser from other district elementary schools by “special permission” via the district’s open enrollment policy. Students from other school districts may also attend Besser Elementary to benefit from the Hearing Impaired program. Alpena Public Schools also supports a preschool program on the Besser campus with 33 children enrolled.

Located on twenty acres of land donated by local philanthropist Jesse Besser, the school opened in 1958 as an elementary school of the K-8 Thunder Bay School District. Besser became part of Alpena Public Schools as a junior high school in 1963. Due to declining enrollment, Besser was closed from 1983 until it reopened in 1986 as an elementary school.