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, Hawaiian students comprised less than 0.1% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 44 schools in Van Buren County, Sister Lakes Elementary School recorded the largest enrollment of Hawaiian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of two 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 Hawaiian students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Bert Goens Learning Center | 1.3% | 79 |
| Sister Lakes Elementary School | 1.2% | 166 |
| Paw Paw Early Elementary School | 0.2% | 481 |
| Paw Paw Middle School | 0.2% | 498 |
| Michigan Online School | 0% | 1,269 |
| Mattawan High School | 0% | 1,126 |
| Hartford High School | 0% | 379 |
| South Haven High School | 0% | 588 |
| Maple Grove Elementary School | 0% | 300 |
| Paw Paw Later Elementary School | 0% | 453 |
| Mattawan Middle School | 0% | 823 |
| Mattawan Later Elementary School | 0% | 808 |
| Lawton Elementary School | 0% | 397 |
| Redwood Elementary School | 0% | 516 |
| Bangor Middle School | 0% | 272 |
| Hartford Middle School | 0% | 321 |
| Hartford Alternative Education | 0% | 122 |
| Paw Paw High School | 0% | 638 |
| Cedar Street Community and Family Center | 0% | 76 |
| Bangor Career Academy | 0% | 74 |
| Behavioral Education Center | 0% | 33 |
| Davis Elementary School | 0% | 356 |
| Lawrence Junior-Senior High School | 0% | 179 |
| Bangor High School | 0% | 264 |
| Bloomingdale Elementary School | 0% | 272 |
| Mattawan Early Elementary School | 0% | 703 |
| Lincoln School | 0% | 251 |
| Covert High School | 0% | 101 |
| Community-Based Transition Center | 0% | 70 |
| Covert Middle School | 0% | 79 |
| Gobles Elementary School | 0% | 355 |
| Covert Elementary School | 0% | 144 |
| South Walnut Elementary School | 0% | 341 |
| Gobles High School | 0% | 396 |
| Bloomingdale Middle and High School | 0% | 516 |
| WAY South Haven | 0% | 44 |
| Decatur Junior Senior High School | 0% | 399 |
| Lawton Accelerated Academic Center | 0% | 26 |
| Wood School Bangor Township 8 | 0% | 24 |
| Lawton Middle School | 0% | 325 |
| Gobles Virtual Academy | 0% | 35 |
| Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center | 0% | 85 |
| Lawrence Elementary School | 0% | 214 |
| Lawton High School | 0% | 279 |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up