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, multiracial students comprised 6% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Michigan Online School recorded the largest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 115 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wood School Bangor Township 8 | 16.7% | 24 |
| WAY South Haven | 15.9% | 44 |
| Lincoln School | 14.3% | 251 |
| Cedar Street Community and Family Center | 11.8% | 76 |
| Maple Grove Elementary School | 9.7% | 300 |
| Bangor Career Academy | 9.5% | 74 |
| South Haven High School | 9.4% | 588 |
| Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center | 9.4% | 85 |
| Michigan Online School | 9.1% | 1,269 |
| Gobles Virtual Academy | 8.6% | 35 |
| Decatur Junior Senior High School | 8.3% | 399 |
| Bangor High School | 8% | 264 |
| Mattawan Early Elementary School | 7.8% | 703 |
| Lawton Accelerated Academic Center | 7.7% | 26 |
| Bert Goens Learning Center | 7.6% | 79 |
| Hartford Alternative Education | 7.4% | 122 |
| South Walnut Elementary School | 7.3% | 341 |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | 7.2% | 166 |
| Bloomingdale Elementary School | 7% | 272 |
| Paw Paw Early Elementary School | 6.9% | 481 |
| Mattawan Later Elementary School | 6.9% | 808 |
| Covert Middle School | 6.3% | 79 |
| Lawton Middle School | 6.2% | 325 |
| Davis Elementary School | 6.2% | 356 |
| Lawton High School | 6.1% | 279 |
| Bangor Middle School | 5.9% | 272 |
| Gobles Elementary School | 5.9% | 355 |
| Community-Based Transition Center | 5.7% | 70 |
| Paw Paw Later Elementary School | 5.3% | 453 |
| Gobles High School | 5.1% | 396 |
| Covert High School | 5% | 101 |
| Lawrence Elementary School | 4.7% | 214 |
| Paw Paw Middle School | 4.4% | 498 |
| Lawton Elementary School | 4.3% | 397 |
| Mattawan Middle School | 4.1% | 823 |
| Hartford High School | 3.7% | 379 |
| Paw Paw High School | 3.6% | 638 |
| Covert Elementary School | 3.5% | 144 |
| Mattawan High School | 3.5% | 1,126 |
| Behavioral Education Center | 3% | 33 |
| Bloomingdale Middle and High School | 2.9% | 516 |
| Lawrence Junior-Senior High School | 2.2% | 179 |
| Hartford Middle School | 1.2% | 321 |
| Redwood Elementary School | 0.2% | 516 |
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