St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 615 African American students enrolled in Van Buren County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6.4% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Van Buren County welcomed 14,810 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 4.2% of the student body to be the fourth highest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Michigan Online School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 242 students.

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 have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	% of African American students enrolment	Total enrollment
Michigan Online School	26.1	926
South Haven High School	9.7	569
Mattawan High School	2.6	1,171
Bloomingdale Middle and High School	4.7	569
Mattawan Middle School	2.8	817
Covert Elementary School	16.4	140
Lincoln School	9	234
Covert High School	19.4	103
South Walnut Elementary School	5.7	335
Bangor High School	6.2	276
Bangor Middle School	4.9	285
Mattawan Later Elementary School	1.7	782
Covert Middle School	18.5	65
Hartford High School	2	404
Maple Grove Elementary School	2.3	302
Paw Paw High School	1	692
Redwood Elementary School	1.2	567
Mattawan Early Elementary School	0.8	744
Paw Paw Early Elementary School	1.3	472
WAY South Haven	14.7	34
Bert Goens Learning Center	5.7	87
Bloomingdale Elementary School	1.3	311
Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center	4.2	96
Bangor Career Academy	3.9	102
Community-Based Transition Center	5.7	70
Decatur Junior Senior High School	0.7	405
Gobles Elementary School	0.8	359
Gobles High School	0.9	330
Paw Paw Middle School	0.6	475
Hartford Alternative Education	3.1	98
Paw Paw Later Elementary School	0.4	462
Lawton Elementary School	0.5	401
Lawrence Elementary School	1	207
Lawton High School	0.7	289
Hartford Middle School	0.7	295
Behavioral Education Center	4.9	41
Gobles Virtual Academy	4.2	48
Davis Elementary School	0.3	380
Lawton Middle School	0.3	307
Lawrence Junior-Senior High School	0.5	212
Sister Lakes Elementary School	0	181
Wood School Bangor Township 8	0	24
Cedar Street Community and Family Center	0	90
Lawton Accelerated Academic Center	0	53