UP Gazette

There were 134 American Indian students enrolled in Manistique Area Schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 7.6% decrease compared to the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Manistique Area Schools welcomed 722 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, American Indian students made up 18.6% of the student body, making them the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Manistique Area Schools roughly covers three schools within Schoolcraft County and has its main office in Manistique.

Among the three schools in Manistique Area Schools, Manistique Middle and High School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 94 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 American Indian Students	American Indian %
2022-23	722	134	18.6%
2021-22	716	145	20.3%
2020-21	707	143	20.2%
2019-20	774	152	19.6%
2018-19	816	163	20%
2017-18	801	164	20.5%
2016-17	808	176	21.8%
2015-16	819	175	21.4%