St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

Berrien Springs Public Schools had the highest enrollment among Berrien County districts, welcoming 4,996 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 52.1% of them were girls, and 47.9% were boys.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 58.9% of the Berrien Springs Public Schools total enrollment.

Among the 20 districts in Berrien County, Niles Community Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 3,151 students, while St. Joseph Public Schools welcomed 2,930 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Berrien Springs Public Schools roughly covers schools within Berrien County, with its main office in Berrien Springs.

In the previous school year, Berrien Springs Public Schools also had the highest number of students among Berrien County schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,427,386 students enrolled in Michigan schools, a figure 4.8% below the pre-pandemic total of 1,499,552 in 2019-20, with white students seeing the largest decline of approximately 3%.

Academic performance in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to the 2024 NAEP results, the share of students reaching the basic benchmark in core subjects is about 10 percentage points lower than in 2019—except for fourth-grade math, which saw a decline of just 2 points.

Achievement gaps between ethnic groups also persist. On average, Hispanic students scored 15 points below white students. The gap was even wider for Black students, who scored about 30 points lower than their white peers.

The 2025 education budget, approved by Gov. Whitmer last July, totals $23.4 billion—$900 million less than the previous year’s budget. K-12 schools are working with $20.6 billion, a reduction from the $21.5 billion allocated in 2024.

However, some school superintendents and educators were concerned about the new budget. "Schools cannot function properly without adequate funding for safety and mental health," stated Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, referring to a significant cut of around $301 million from school safety and mental health programs. Based on the current bill, the program will receive just $26.5 million.

District	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Berrien Springs Public Schools	Berrien Springs	4,996
Niles Community Schools	Niles	3,151
St. Joseph Public Schools	St. Joseph	2,930
Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	Stevensville	2,635
Buchanan Community Schools	Buchanan	1,577
Watervliet School District	Watervliet	1,423
Brandywine Community Schools	Niles	1,301
Benton Harbor Area Schools	Benton Harbor	1,241
Coloma Community Schools	Coloma	1,095
Berrien RESA	Berrien Springs	948
Bridgman Public Schools	Bridgman	810
Countryside Academy	Benton Harbor	770
Eau Claire Public Schools	Eau Claire	587
New Buffalo Area Schools	New Buffalo	516
River Valley School District	Three Oaks	460
Benton Harbor Charter School Academy	Benton Harbor	418
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy	Benton Harbor	227
Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan	Benton Harbor	112
Hagar Township School District #6	Riverside	72
Sodus Township School District #5	Sodus	70