UP Gazette

There were 1,099 white students enrolled in Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 3.1% decrease compared to the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools welcomed 1,957 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, white students made up 56.2% of the student body, making them the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools roughly covers six schools within Chippewa County and has its main office in Sault Sainte Marie.

Among the six schools in Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools, Sault Area High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 411 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 White Students	White %
2022-23	1,957	1,099	56.2%
2021-22	1,978	1,134	57.3%
2020-21	1,939	1,140	58.8%
2019-20	1,973	1,163	58.9%
2018-19	2,023	1,199	59.3%
2017-18	2,171	1,283	59.1%
2016-17	2,247	1,341	59.7%
2015-16	2,264	1,382	61%