St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 73 American Indian students enrolled in Allegan County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.7% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Allegan County welcomed 17,403 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 0.4% of the student body to be the second lowest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 54 schools in Allegan County, Wayland High School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of eight 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
Wayland High School	1	814
Plainwell High School	0.5	813
L. E. White Middle School	0.9	436
Hopkins Elementary School	1	384
Hamilton Flex	2.6	151
Dorr School	1.2	322
Pine Street Elementary School	1	390
Allegan High School	0.5	614
Wayland Union Middle School	0.5	617
Hopkins High School	0.6	490
North Shore Elementary School	1.1	261
Dawson Elementary School	1	286
Hopkins Middle School	0.9	322
Robert D. Brandon Elementary School	1	288
RJ Steeby School	0.8	240
Bessie B. Baker School	0.6	313
Otsego High School	0.1	741
Hamilton Middle School	0.1	714
Hamilton High School	0.1	808
Otsego Middle School	0.2	524
Baseline Middle School	0.2	403
West Ward Elementary School	0.4	245
Plainwell Middle School	0.2	587
Starr Elementary School	0.2	451
Washington Street Elementary School	0.2	450
Pine Trails Elementary School	0.3	339
Gilkey Elementary School	0.3	399
Saugatuck Middle School	0.5	197
Martin High School	0.3	328
Hillside Learning Behavior Center	0.7	135
Sycamore Elementary School	0.4	244
Allegan Online K-8	2.2	45
Paris Ridge Elementary School	0	317
Blue Star Elementary School	0	212
Saugatuck High School	0	258
Bentheim Elementary School	0	218
Douglas Elementary School	0	338
Allegan Alternative High School	0	118
Fennville Public High School	0	396
Fennville Elementary School	0	529
Pullman Elementary School	0	183
Dix Street Elementary School	0	332
Career Connections Academy	0	52
Hamilton Elementary School	0	363
Outlook Academy	0	50
Pearl Alternative/Adult Education School	0	43
Outlook Academy Youth Home Campus	0	15
Fennville Middle School	0	288
Innocademy Allegan Campus	0	95
Renaissance High School	0	92
Glenn Public School	0	39
North Ward Elementary School	0	36
Otsego West Campus High School	0	25
Sandyview Elementary School	0	53