Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction | https://radio.wcmu.org/
Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction | https://radio.wcmu.org/
Data showed that Berrien County welcomed 21,077 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, multiracial students comprised 5.9% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 74 schools in Berrien County, Niles Senior High School recorded the largest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 67 students.
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.
| School name | % of multiracial students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Step Up | 20% | 15 |
| Niles Comm Schools Adult Education | 16.7% | 24 |
| Niles Cedar Lane | 14.9% | 134 |
| WAY Watervliet High School | 12.2% | 90 |
| Coloma Intermediate School | 12% | 175 |
| Ring Lardner Middle School | 11.6% | 510 |
| WAY Niles | 11.6% | 95 |
| Brandywine Innovation Academy | 11.6% | 69 |
| Ballard Elementary School | 11.4% | 516 |
| Coloma Elementary School | 11.2% | 356 |
| Riverside School | 11.1% | 72 |
| Niles Virtual School | 11.1% | 18 |
| Merritt Elementary School | 9.9% | 304 |
| Eastside Connections School | 9.9% | 403 |
| Moccasin Elementary School | 9.3% | 354 |
| Brandywine Middle School | 9.3% | 183 |
| River School | 8.6% | 70 |
| WAY Eau Claire | 8.6% | 35 |
| Coloma High School | 8.3% | 336 |
| Brandywine Senior High School | 8.2% | 366 |
| Niles Senior High School | 8.1% | 828 |
| Berrien Springs High School | 7.8% | 554 |
| Berrien Springs Middle School | 7.8% | 424 |
| Bridgman Elementary School | 7.8% | 309 |
| Northside Child Development Center | 7.7% | 13 |
| Sylvester Elementary School | 7.6% | 394 |
| Coloma Junior High School | 7.5% | 228 |
| Mars Elementary School | 7.4% | 338 |
| Brandywine Elementary School | 7.1% | 379 |
| Buchanan Middle School | 6.7% | 358 |
| Ottawa Elementary School | 6.5% | 230 |
| Brown School | 6.3% | 410 |
| Bridgman High School | 6.3% | 239 |
| Clarke School | 6.3% | 462 |
| Lincoln School | 6.1% | 423 |
| Buchanan Virtual Academy | 6.1% | 49 |
| St. Joseph High School | 6% | 933 |
| Buchanan High School | 5.9% | 561 |
| South Elementary School | 5.7% | 335 |
| Eau Claire High School | 5.6% | 180 |
| Watervliet Senior High School | 5.6% | 360 |
| Berrien Springs Discovery Academy | 5.4% | 74 |
| Watervliet Middle School | 4.9% | 309 |
| North Elementary School | 4.8% | 312 |
| Upton Middle School | 4.8% | 690 |
| Berrien Springs Virtual Academy | 4.7% | 213 |
| Countryside Academy Elementary | 4.7% | 384 |
| Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan | 4.5% | 112 |
| Southside Special Education School | 4.4% | 45 |
| Stewart Elementary School | 4.3% | 391 |
| Fair Plain East Elementary School | 4% | 150 |
| F. C. Reed Middle School | 3.8% | 261 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School | 3.5% | 229 |
| River Valley Middle-High School | 3.4% | 265 |
| Lakeshore Middle School | 3.3% | 612 |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | 3.2% | 412 |
| Blossomland Learning Center | 3.1% | 159 |
| New Buffalo Middle School | 3% | 133 |
| Fair Plain Middle School | 2.9% | 240 |
| New Buffalo Senior High School | 2.9% | 172 |
| Eau Claire Middle School | 2.9% | 139 |
| Hollywood Elementary School | 2.7% | 377 |
| Countryside Academy Middle-High School | 2.3% | 386 |
| Benton Harbor High School | 2.3% | 469 |
| Three Oaks Elementary School | 2.1% | 195 |
| Lakeshore High School | 1.8% | 843 |
| Lighthouse Education Center | 1.5% | 134 |
| Lybrook Elementary School | 1.3% | 233 |
| Benton Harbor Charter School Academy | 0.7% | 418 |
| New Buffalo Elementary School | 0.5% | 211 |
| Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center | 0% | 60 |
| Discovery Enrichment Center | 0% | 80 |
| Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy | 0% | 227 |
| Berrien County Juvenile Center | 0% | 10 |
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