UP Gazette

There were five African American students enrolled in Tahquamenon Area Schools in the 2022-23 school year, the same number as the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Tahquamenon Area Schools welcomed 504 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students made up 1% of the student body, making them the second least represented ethnicity in the district.

Tahquamenon Area Schools roughly covers one school within Luce County and has its main office in Newberry.

Newberry Area School was the only school in the district which enrolled African American students, welcoming five students in the 2022-23 school year.

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	504	5	1%
2021-22	527	5	0.9%
2020-21	560	7	1.3%
2019-20	576	7	1.2%
2018-19	599	8	1.3%
2017-18	654	13	2%
2016-17	669	14	2.1%
2015-16	721	13	1.8%