St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 425 Asian students enrolled in Berrien County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 0.5% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Berrien County welcomed 21,077 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, Asian students comprised 2% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 74 schools in Berrien County, St. Joseph High School recorded the largest enrollment of Asian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 49 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 Asian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Stewart Elementary School	9.2%	391
Clarke School	9.1%	462
Brown School	7.3%	410
Berrien Springs High School	6.9%	554
Roosevelt Elementary School	5.8%	412
St. Joseph High School	5.3%	933
Mars Elementary School	5%	338
Upton Middle School	4.9%	690
Berrien Springs Virtual Academy	4.7%	213
Berrien Springs Middle School	4.2%	424
Sylvester Elementary School	3.3%	394
Lakeshore Middle School	3.1%	612
Lakeshore High School	3%	843
River School	2.9%	70
Lighthouse Education Center	2.2%	134
Hollywood Elementary School	1.9%	377
River Valley Middle-High School	1.9%	265
New Buffalo Elementary School	1.9%	211
Lincoln School	1.9%	423
F. C. Reed Middle School	1.5%	261
New Buffalo Middle School	1.5%	133
Berrien Springs Discovery Academy	1.4%	74
Brandywine Senior High School	1.4%	366
Blossomland Learning Center	1.3%	159
New Buffalo Senior High School	1.2%	172
Watervliet Senior High School	0.8%	360
Ring Lardner Middle School	0.8%	510
Bridgman High School	0.8%	239
Ballard Elementary School	0.6%	516
Buchanan High School	0.5%	561
Eastside Connections School	0.5%	403
Brandywine Middle School	0.5%	183
Niles Senior High School	0.4%	828
Brandywine Elementary School	0.3%	379
Countryside Academy Middle-High School	0.3%	386
Watervliet Middle School	0.3%	309
Benton Harbor Charter School Academy	0.2%	418
Berrien County Juvenile Center	0%	10
Bridgman Elementary School	0%	309
Buchanan Middle School	0%	358
Coloma Intermediate School	0%	175
Niles Cedar Lane	0%	134
South Elementary School	0%	335
Countryside Academy Elementary	0%	384
Coloma Junior High School	0%	228
Ottawa Elementary School	0%	230
North Elementary School	0%	312
WAY Watervliet High School	0%	90
Benton Harbor High School	0%	469
WAY Niles	0%	95
Eau Claire High School	0%	180
Brandywine Innovation Academy	0%	69
Riverside School	0%	72
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School	0%	229
Fair Plain Middle School	0%	240
Fair Plain East Elementary School	0%	150
Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan	0%	112
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy	0%	227
Discovery Enrichment Center	0%	80
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center	0%	60
Northside Child Development Center	0%	13
Three Oaks Elementary School	0%	195
Southside Special Education School	0%	45
Eau Claire Middle School	0%	139
Niles Comm Schools Adult Education	0%	24
Niles Virtual School	0%	18
Buchanan Virtual Academy	0%	49
WAY Eau Claire	0%	35
Lybrook Elementary School	0%	233
Buchanan Step Up	0%	15
Coloma Elementary School	0%	356
Moccasin Elementary School	0%	354
Merritt Elementary School	0%	304
Coloma High School	0%	336