UP Gazette

There were 17 African American students enrolled in Escanaba Area Public Schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 5.6% decrease compared to the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Escanaba Area Public Schools welcomed 2,129 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students made up 0.8% of the student body, making them the third least represented ethnicity in the district.

Escanaba Area Public Schools roughly covers five schools within Delta County and has its main office in Escanaba.

Among the five schools in Escanaba Area Public Schools, Escanaba Junior-Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of nine students.

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.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total African American Students	African American %
2022-23	2,129	17	0.8%
2021-22	2,146	18	0.8%
2020-21	2,223	20	0.9%
2019-20	2,310	15	0.6%
2018-19	2,329	13	0.6%
2017-18	2,279	23	1%
2016-17	2,365	21	0.9%
2015-16	2,383	11	0.5%