Berrien County Education: 1,244 multiracial students were enrolled in schools in 2024-25 school year

Berrien County Education: 1,244 multiracial students were enrolled in schools in 2024-25 school year
Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction — https://radio.wcmu.org/
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There were 1,244 multiracial students enrolled in Berrien County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 0.6% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Berrien County welcomed 21,077 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, multiracial students comprised 5.9% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 74 schools in Berrien County, Niles Senior High School recorded the largest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 67 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.

Ethnicities in Berrien County in 2024-25 School Year
Enrollment Demographics in Berrien County Schools During 2024-25 School Year
School name % of multiracial students enrolment Total enrollment
Buchanan Step Up 20% 15
Niles Comm Schools Adult Education 16.7% 24
Niles Cedar Lane 14.9% 134
WAY Watervliet High School 12.2% 90
Coloma Intermediate School 12% 175
Ring Lardner Middle School 11.6% 510
WAY Niles 11.6% 95
Brandywine Innovation Academy 11.6% 69
Ballard Elementary School 11.4% 516
Coloma Elementary School 11.2% 356
Riverside School 11.1% 72
Niles Virtual School 11.1% 18
Merritt Elementary School 9.9% 304
Eastside Connections School 9.9% 403
Moccasin Elementary School 9.3% 354
Brandywine Middle School 9.3% 183
River School 8.6% 70
WAY Eau Claire 8.6% 35
Coloma High School 8.3% 336
Brandywine Senior High School 8.2% 366
Niles Senior High School 8.1% 828
Berrien Springs High School 7.8% 554
Berrien Springs Middle School 7.8% 424
Bridgman Elementary School 7.8% 309
Northside Child Development Center 7.7% 13
Sylvester Elementary School 7.6% 394
Coloma Junior High School 7.5% 228
Mars Elementary School 7.4% 338
Brandywine Elementary School 7.1% 379
Buchanan Middle School 6.7% 358
Ottawa Elementary School 6.5% 230
Brown School 6.3% 410
Bridgman High School 6.3% 239
Clarke School 6.3% 462
Lincoln School 6.1% 423
Buchanan Virtual Academy 6.1% 49
St. Joseph High School 6% 933
Buchanan High School 5.9% 561
South Elementary School 5.7% 335
Eau Claire High School 5.6% 180
Watervliet Senior High School 5.6% 360
Berrien Springs Discovery Academy 5.4% 74
Watervliet Middle School 4.9% 309
North Elementary School 4.8% 312
Upton Middle School 4.8% 690
Berrien Springs Virtual Academy 4.7% 213
Countryside Academy Elementary 4.7% 384
Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan 4.5% 112
Southside Special Education School 4.4% 45
Stewart Elementary School 4.3% 391
Fair Plain East Elementary School 4% 150
F. C. Reed Middle School 3.8% 261
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School 3.5% 229
River Valley Middle-High School 3.4% 265
Lakeshore Middle School 3.3% 612
Roosevelt Elementary School 3.2% 412
Blossomland Learning Center 3.1% 159
New Buffalo Middle School 3% 133
Fair Plain Middle School 2.9% 240
New Buffalo Senior High School 2.9% 172
Eau Claire Middle School 2.9% 139
Hollywood Elementary School 2.7% 377
Countryside Academy Middle-High School 2.3% 386
Benton Harbor High School 2.3% 469
Three Oaks Elementary School 2.1% 195
Lakeshore High School 1.8% 843
Lighthouse Education Center 1.5% 134
Lybrook Elementary School 1.3% 233
Benton Harbor Charter School Academy 0.7% 418
New Buffalo Elementary School 0.5% 211
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center 0% 60
Discovery Enrichment Center 0% 80
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy 0% 227
Berrien County Juvenile Center 0% 10


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