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, Asian students comprised 0.7% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Michigan Online School recorded the largest enrollment of Asian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 21 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Maple Grove Elementary School | 3% | 300 |
| Cedar Street Community and Family Center | 2.6% | 76 |
| Michigan Online School | 1.7% | 1,269 |
| Mattawan High School | 1.7% | 1,126 |
| Mattawan Middle School | 1.7% | 823 |
| Mattawan Early Elementary School | 1.4% | 703 |
| Mattawan Later Elementary School | 0.9% | 808 |
| Paw Paw High School | 0.9% | 638 |
| Paw Paw Later Elementary School | 0.9% | 453 |
| Lawton High School | 0.4% | 279 |
| Lincoln School | 0.4% | 251 |
| Paw Paw Early Elementary School | 0.4% | 481 |
| Lawton Middle School | 0.3% | 325 |
| Gobles High School | 0.3% | 396 |
| Bloomingdale Middle and High School | 0.2% | 516 |
| Paw Paw Middle School | 0.2% | 498 |
| South Haven High School | 0.2% | 588 |
| WAY South Haven | 0% | 44 |
| Lawton Elementary School | 0% | 397 |
| Hartford Alternative Education | 0% | 122 |
| Hartford Middle School | 0% | 321 |
| Hartford High School | 0% | 379 |
| Bert Goens Learning Center | 0% | 79 |
| Gobles Elementary School | 0% | 355 |
| Covert Middle School | 0% | 79 |
| Community-Based Transition Center | 0% | 70 |
| Covert High School | 0% | 101 |
| Bangor High School | 0% | 264 |
| Covert Elementary School | 0% | 144 |
| Bangor Middle School | 0% | 272 |
| South Walnut Elementary School | 0% | 341 |
| Bangor Career Academy | 0% | 74 |
| Behavioral Education Center | 0% | 33 |
| Decatur Junior Senior High School | 0% | 399 |
| Lawton Accelerated Academic Center | 0% | 26 |
| Wood School Bangor Township 8 | 0% | 24 |
| Davis Elementary School | 0% | 356 |
| Lawrence Junior-Senior High School | 0% | 179 |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | 0% | 166 |
| Redwood Elementary School | 0% | 516 |
| Gobles Virtual Academy | 0% | 35 |
| Bloomingdale Elementary School | 0% | 272 |
| Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center | 0% | 85 |
| Lawrence Elementary School | 0% | 214 |
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