St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

There were 58 American Indian students enrolled in Cass County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 20.8% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Cass County welcomed 6,275 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 0.9% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 23 schools in Cass County, Patrick Hamilton Elementary School and Dowagiac Middle School recorded the largest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of nine 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 American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Volinia Outcome Base School	5%	40
Brookside Learning Center	4.4%	68
Patrick Hamilton Elementary School	4%	224
Justus Gage Elementary School	3.1%	262
Dowagiac Middle School	2.3%	393
Cassopolis Middle School	1.1%	188
Kincheloe Elementary School	0.9%	214
Edwardsburg Middle School	0.8%	612
Howard-Ellis Elementary School	0.8%	529
Union High School	0.8%	507
Edwardsburg High School	0.6%	773
Cassopolis High School	0.4%	281
Sam Adams Elementary School	0.3%	368
Eagle Lake Elementary School	0.3%	385
Edwardsburg Primary School	0.3%	342
Edwardsburg Intermediate School	0.3%	361
Pathfinders Alternative Education	0%	49
North Pointe Center	0%	57
Marcellus High School	0%	160
Marcellus Middle School	0%	136
Cassopolis Alternative Education	0%	16
Marcellus Elementary School	0%	264
Edwardsburg Alternative Learning Center	0%	46