St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

Among the many ethnicities represented in Van Buren County schools, white was the most prevalent ethnicity among Van Buren County students in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of the 14,810 students attending Van Buren County schools, 68.3% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 20.7% of Van Buren County students.

In the previous school year, white students were still the most common group in Van Buren County, representing 68.3% of the student body.

WAY South Haven had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, which included 52.9% white students, 23.5% multiracial students, 14.7% African American students, and 8.8% Hispanic students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased 1% when compared to the previous year.

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.

School name	Most represented ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Bangor Career Academy	White	57.8%	102
Bangor High School	White	48.2%	276
Bangor Middle School	White	43.2%	285
Behavioral Education Center	White	87.8%	41
Bert Goens Learning Center	White	67.8%	87
Bloomingdale Elementary School	White	67.5%	311
Bloomingdale Middle and High School	White	53.3%	569
Cedar Street Community and Family Center	White	84.4%	90
Community-Based Transition Center	White	58.6%	70
Covert Elementary School	Hispanic	57.1%	140
Covert High School	Hispanic	63.1%	103
Covert Middle School	Hispanic	58.5%	65
Davis Elementary School	White	68.2%	380
Decatur Junior Senior High School	White	68.1%	405
Gobles Elementary School	White	81.3%	359
Gobles High School	White	87%	330
Gobles Virtual Academy	White	70.8%	48
Hartford Alternative Education	White	52%	98
Hartford High School	Hispanic	55.2%	404
Hartford Middle School	Hispanic	58.3%	295
Lawrence Elementary School	White	53.6%	207
Lawrence Junior-Senior High School	White	59.9%	212
Lawton Accelerated Academic Center	White	77.4%	53
Lawton Elementary School	White	81.8%	401
Lawton High School	White	77.5%	289
Lawton Middle School	White	77.9%	307
Lincoln School	White	59.8%	234
Maple Grove Elementary School	White	67.2%	302
Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center	White	75%	96
Mattawan Early Elementary School	White	86.6%	744
Mattawan High School	White	85.2%	1,171
Mattawan Later Elementary School	White	84.4%	782
Mattawan Middle School	White	84.6%	817
Michigan Online School	White	55.8%	926
Paw Paw Early Elementary School	White	79.9%	472
Paw Paw High School	White	87%	692
Paw Paw Later Elementary School	White	82.3%	462
Paw Paw Middle School	White	84.4%	475
Redwood Elementary School	Hispanic	63%	567
Sister Lakes Elementary School	White	54.7%	181
South Haven High School	White	58.3%	569
South Walnut Elementary School	White	45.1%	335
WAY South Haven	White	52.9%	34
Wood School Bangor Township 8	White	66.7%	24