UP Gazette

There were 1,823 American Indian students enrolled in Chippewa County districts in the 2022-23 school year, 0.2% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Chippewa County welcomed 4,662 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 39.1% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county districts.

Among the 12 districts in Chippewa County, Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 747 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Chippewa County.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps widening. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

District	% of American Indian Students Enrolled	Total Enrollment
Brimley Area Schools	50.2%	460
DeTour Area Schools	18.3%	93
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	14.9%	67
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD	28.4%	261
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	49.5%	596
Lake Superior Academy	21.2%	85
Ojibwe Charter School	86.8%	144
Pickford Public Schools	24.4%	463
Rudyard Area Schools	34.5%	603
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools	38.2%	1,957
Whitefish Township Schools	14.3%	63