St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 77 American Indian students enrolled in Van Buren County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 10% 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, American Indian students comprised 0.5% of the student body to be the second lowest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Michigan Online School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 10 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 American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Michigan Online School	1.1	926
Sister Lakes Elementary School	4.4	181
Redwood Elementary School	1.1	567
Mattawan Middle School	0.6	817
Hartford High School	1.2	404
Paw Paw Early Elementary School	0.8	472
Bloomingdale Middle and High School	0.7	569
Bangor Career Academy	3.9	102
Mattawan High School	0.3	1,171
Mattawan Early Elementary School	0.4	744
Mattawan Later Elementary School	0.4	782
Paw Paw High School	0.4	692
South Haven High School	0.5	569
Hartford Middle School	1	295
Decatur Junior Senior High School	0.5	405
Lawton Elementary School	0.5	401
Lincoln School	0.9	234
Paw Paw Later Elementary School	0.2	462
Paw Paw Middle School	0.2	475
Covert High School	1	103
Bangor Middle School	0.4	285
Bloomingdale Elementary School	0.3	311
Lawton High School	0.3	289
Davis Elementary School	0.3	380
Maple Grove Elementary School	0	302
Gobles Elementary School	0	359
Lawton Middle School	0	307
Covert Elementary School	0	140
Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center	0	96
Gobles High School	0	330
South Walnut Elementary School	0	335
Bangor High School	0	276
Covert Middle School	0	65
WAY South Haven	0	34
Bert Goens Learning Center	0	87
Community-Based Transition Center	0	70
Hartford Alternative Education	0	98
Lawrence Elementary School	0	207
Behavioral Education Center	0	41
Gobles Virtual Academy	0	48
Lawrence Junior-Senior High School	0	212
Wood School Bangor Township 8	0	24
Cedar Street Community and Family Center	0	90
Lawton Accelerated Academic Center	0	53