UP Gazette

There were 13 African American students enrolled in Gwinn Area Community Schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 7.1% decrease compared to the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Gwinn Area Community Schools welcomed 997 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students made up 1.3% of the student body, making them the third least represented ethnicity in the district.

Gwinn Area Community Schools roughly covers three schools within Marquette County and has its main office in Gwinn.

Among the three schools in Gwinn Area Community Schools, Gwinn Middle-High School and K. I. Sawyer Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of six 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	997	13	1.3%
2021-22	1,015	14	1.4%
2020-21	1,004	10	1%
2019-20	1,032	9	0.9%
2018-19	1,071	10	0.9%
2017-18	1,071	12	1.1%
2016-17	1,077	12	1.1%
2015-16	1,040	15	1.4%