St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 4,054 African American students enrolled in Berrien County districts in the 2022-23 school year, 1.6% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Berrien County welcomed 21,620 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 18.8% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county districts.

Among the 20 districts in Berrien County, Benton Harbor Area Schools recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 1,339 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Berrien County.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps widening. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

District	% of African American Students Enrolled	Total Enrollment
Benton Harbor Area Schools	92.5%	1,448
Benton Harbor Charter School Academy	96.4%	442
Berrien RESA	29.3%	806
Berrien Springs Public Schools	17.5%	4,358
Brandywine Community Schools	3.5%	1,304
Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan	60.9%	92
Bridgman Public Schools	2.2%	849
Buchanan Community Schools	3.2%	1,566
Coloma Community Schools	8.1%	1,161
Countryside Academy	52.1%	758
Eau Claire Public Schools	22.8%	654
Hagar Township School District #6	20.5%	73
Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	4.4%	2,688
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy	98.6%	217
New Buffalo Area Schools	2.8%	536
Niles Community Schools	10%	3,313
River Valley School District	0.8%	497
Sodus Township School District #5	26.2%	65
St. Joseph Public Schools	8.5%	2,965
Watervliet School District	2.5%	1,452