St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 3,076 Hispanic students enrolled in Van Buren County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.1% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Van Buren County welcomed 14,926 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 20.6% of the student body to be the second highest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Redwood Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 328 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 Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Redwood Elementary School	62.1	528
Bloomingdale Middle and High School	39.1	563
Hartford High School	53	385
Hartford Middle School	60.5	314
South Walnut Elementary School	38.1	341
Bangor Middle School	43.9	294
Bangor High School	43	277
South Haven High School	20.2	569
Michigan Online School	7.8	1,236
Covert Elementary School	58.7	155
Lawrence Elementary School	39.1	225
Davis Elementary School	24.6	349
Bloomingdale Elementary School	29.6	287
Decatur Junior Senior High School	20.1	403
Mattawan High School	7.1	1,125
Lawrence Junior-Senior High School	42.1	190
Covert High School	61.2	116
Paw Paw Later Elementary School	14.1	447
Paw Paw High School	9.2	665
Paw Paw Early Elementary School	12	482
Sister Lakes Elementary School	33.9	168
Mattawan Middle School	6.5	833
Paw Paw Middle School	11.5	461
Lawton High School	17.5	292
Mattawan Later Elementary School	6.2	812
Lawton Elementary School	12.1	398
Lawton Middle School	14.7	313
Covert Middle School	61.6	73
Maple Grove Elementary School	15.2	290
Gobles Elementary School	11.2	374
Gobles High School	10.2	383
Hartford Alternative Education	31.1	122
Lincoln School	13.7	227
Mattawan Early Elementary School	3.9	696
Bangor Career Academy	33.3	60
Bert Goens Learning Center	17.3	81
Community-Based Transition Center	18.6	70
Cedar Street Community and Family Center	12.5	80
Lawton Accelerated Academic Center	21.6	37
WAY South Haven	17.2	29
Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center	3.4	87
Gobles Virtual Academy	6.3	32
Behavioral Education Center	3.1	32
Wood School Bangor Township 8	0	25