There were 323 African American students enrolled in Cass County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 4.4% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
Data showed that Cass County welcomed 6,275 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 5.1% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 23 schools in Cass County, Howard-Ellis Elementary School recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 85 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Hamilton Elementary School | 17.9% | 224 |
| Howard-Ellis Elementary School | 16.1% | 529 |
| North Pointe Center | 12.3% | 57 |
| Pathfinders Alternative Education | 12.2% | 49 |
| Cassopolis High School | 10.3% | 281 |
| Sam Adams Elementary School | 8.7% | 368 |
| Cassopolis Middle School | 8% | 188 |
| Dowagiac Middle School | 7.4% | 393 |
| Brookside Learning Center | 7.4% | 68 |
| Justus Gage Elementary School | 6.5% | 262 |
| Cassopolis Alternative Education | 6.3% | 16 |
| Union High School | 5.7% | 507 |
| Marcellus High School | 2.5% | 160 |
| Edwardsburg Intermediate School | 1.9% | 361 |
| Edwardsburg Primary School | 1.2% | 342 |
| Edwardsburg High School | 0.8% | 773 |
| Marcellus Middle School | 0.7% | 136 |
| Edwardsburg Middle School | 0.5% | 612 |
| Eagle Lake Elementary School | 0.5% | 385 |
| Kincheloe Elementary School | 0.5% | 214 |
| Marcellus Elementary School | 0% | 264 |
| Edwardsburg Alternative Learning Center | 0% | 46 |
| Volinia Outcome Base School | 0% | 40 |