There were 671 African American students enrolled in Van Buren County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 8.3% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
Data showed that Van Buren County welcomed 14,877 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 4.5% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Michigan Online School recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 336 students.
In the 2024-25 school year, 1,427,386 students enrolled in Michigan schools, a figure 4.8% below the pre-pandemic total of 1,499,552 in 2019-20, with white students seeing the largest decline of approximately 3%.
Academic performance in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to the 2024 NAEP results, the share of students reaching the basic benchmark in core subjects is about 10 percentage points lower than in 2019—except for fourth-grade math, which saw a decline of just 2 points.
Achievement gaps between ethnic groups also persist. On average, Hispanic students scored 15 points below white students. The gap was even wider for Black students, who scored about 30 points lower than their white peers.
The 2025 education budget, approved by Gov. Whitmer last July, totals $23.4 billion—$900 million less than the previous year’s budget. K-12 schools are working with $20.6 billion, a reduction from the $21.5 billion allocated in 2024.
However, some school superintendents and educators were concerned about the new budget. “Schools cannot function properly without adequate funding for safety and mental health,” stated Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, referring to a significant cut of around $301 million from school safety and mental health programs. Based on the current bill, the program will receive just $26.5 million.
| School name | % of African American students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Online School | 26.5% | 1,269 |
| Covert High School | 22.8% | 101 |
| Covert Elementary School | 15.3% | 144 |
| Community-Based Transition Center | 12.9% | 70 |
| Lincoln School | 10.8% | 251 |
| Behavioral Education Center | 9.1% | 33 |
| WAY South Haven | 9.1% | 44 |
| Covert Middle School | 8.9% | 79 |
| Bert Goens Learning Center | 7.6% | 79 |
| South Haven High School | 7.3% | 588 |
| Gobles Virtual Academy | 5.7% | 35 |
| Bangor Career Academy | 5.4% | 74 |
| Bangor Middle School | 4.4% | 272 |
| Bangor High School | 4.2% | 264 |
| Hartford Alternative Education | 4.1% | 122 |
| Maple Grove Elementary School | 4% | 300 |
| South Walnut Elementary School | 3.8% | 341 |
| Bloomingdale Middle and High School | 2.9% | 516 |
| Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center | 2.4% | 85 |
| Mattawan High School | 2.4% | 1,126 |
| Paw Paw Early Elementary School | 2.1% | 481 |
| Gobles Elementary School | 2% | 355 |
| Hartford High School | 1.6% | 379 |
| Hartford Middle School | 1.6% | 321 |
| Mattawan Later Elementary School | 1.5% | 808 |
| Lawrence Elementary School | 1.4% | 214 |
| Paw Paw Later Elementary School | 1.3% | 453 |
| Mattawan Middle School | 1.1% | 823 |
| Lawton Elementary School | 1% | 397 |
| Mattawan Early Elementary School | 1% | 703 |
| Gobles High School | 0.8% | 396 |
| Paw Paw High School | 0.8% | 638 |
| Bloomingdale Elementary School | 0.7% | 272 |
| Paw Paw Middle School | 0.6% | 498 |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | 0.6% | 166 |
| Lawrence Junior-Senior High School | 0.6% | 179 |
| Redwood Elementary School | 0.4% | 516 |
| Lawton High School | 0.4% | 279 |
| Davis Elementary School | 0.3% | 356 |
| Cedar Street Community and Family Center | 0% | 76 |
| Lawton Middle School | 0% | 325 |
| Wood School Bangor Township 8 | 0% | 24 |
| Lawton Accelerated Academic Center | 0% | 26 |
| Decatur Junior Senior High School | 0% | 399 |