St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

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

Of the 6,552 students attending Cass County schools, 76.2% were white. Multiracial students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 9.4% of Cass County students.

In the previous school year, white students were still the most common group in Cass County, representing 76.2% of the student body.

Howard-Ellis Elementary School and Sam Adams Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Cass County including African American, American Indian, Asian, Hawaiian, Hispanic, multiracial, and white.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 3% 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
Brookside Learning Center	White	73.3%	60
Cassopolis Alternative Education	White	69.2%	13
Cassopolis High School	White	60.5%	271
Cassopolis Middle School	White	61.4%	210
Dowagiac Middle School	White	58.1%	408
Eagle Lake Elementary School	White	93.1%	349
Edwardsburg Alternative Learning Center	White	88.2%	68
Edwardsburg High School	White	90.6%	815
Edwardsburg Intermediate School	White	92.6%	404
Edwardsburg Middle School	White	87.7%	643
Edwardsburg Primary School	White	89.8%	363
Howard-Ellis Elementary School	White	68.4%	591
Justus Gage Elementary School	White	69.3%	274
Kincheloe Elementary School	White	70.6%	221
Marcellus Elementary School	White	88.7%	300
Marcellus High School	White	90.1%	162
Marcellus Middle School	White	89.6%	134
North Pointe Center	White	69%	58
Pathfinders Alternative Education	White	42.1%	38
Patrick Hamilton Elementary School	White	46.6%	236
Sam Adams Elementary School	White	65.7%	370
Union High School	White	58.8%	532
Volinia Outcome Base School	White	65.6%	32