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 Van Buren County welcomed 14,877 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 21% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Redwood Elementary School recorded the largest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 333 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 Hispanic students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Covert Middle School | 69.6% | 79 |
| Covert Elementary School | 68.1% | 144 |
| Redwood Elementary School | 64.5% | 516 |
| Covert High School | 60.4% | 101 |
| Hartford Middle School | 59.2% | 321 |
| Hartford High School | 57.8% | 379 |
| Lawrence Elementary School | 44.9% | 214 |
| Bangor High School | 44.7% | 264 |
| Lawrence Junior-Senior High School | 42.5% | 179 |
| South Walnut Elementary School | 40.8% | 341 |
| Bangor Middle School | 40.8% | 272 |
| Bloomingdale Middle and High School | 39.5% | 516 |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | 33.1% | 166 |
| Bloomingdale Elementary School | 30.5% | 272 |
| Davis Elementary School | 27% | 356 |
| Lawton Accelerated Academic Center | 26.9% | 26 |
| Hartford Alternative Education | 26.2% | 122 |
| Decatur Junior Senior High School | 23.1% | 399 |
| Bangor Career Academy | 21.6% | 74 |
| Bert Goens Learning Center | 21.5% | 79 |
| South Haven High School | 19.6% | 588 |
| Community-Based Transition Center | 15.7% | 70 |
| Lawton High School | 15.4% | 279 |
| Lawton Middle School | 14.5% | 325 |
| Maple Grove Elementary School | 13.7% | 300 |
| Gobles Elementary School | 13.2% | 355 |
| Paw Paw Later Elementary School | 13% | 453 |
| Wood School Bangor Township 8 | 12.5% | 24 |
| Paw Paw High School | 12.2% | 638 |
| Lawton Elementary School | 12.1% | 397 |
| Paw Paw Early Elementary School | 12.1% | 481 |
| Paw Paw Middle School | 11.6% | 498 |
| WAY South Haven | 11.4% | 44 |
| Gobles High School | 11.4% | 396 |
| Lincoln School | 11.2% | 251 |
| Michigan Online School | 9.2% | 1,269 |
| Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center | 7.1% | 85 |
| Mattawan High School | 7.1% | 1,126 |
| Mattawan Middle School | 6.7% | 823 |
| Mattawan Later Elementary School | 5.9% | 808 |
| Cedar Street Community and Family Center | 5.3% | 76 |
| Mattawan Early Elementary School | 4.4% | 703 |
| Gobles Virtual Academy | 2.9% | 35 |
| Behavioral Education Center | 0% | 33 |
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