UP Gazette

There were 72 Hispanic students enrolled in Chippewa County districts in the 2022-23 school year, 18% 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, Hispanic students comprised 1.5% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county districts.

Among the 12 districts in Chippewa County, Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 26 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 Hispanic Students Enrolled	Total Enrollment
Brimley Area Schools	1.5%	460
DeTour Area Schools	2.2%	93
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	6%	67
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD	1.1%	261
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	3.4%	596
Ojibwe Charter School	0.7%	144
Pickford Public Schools	1.1%	463
Rudyard Area Schools	1%	603
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools	1.3%	1,957