UP Gazette

There were 16 Asian students enrolled in Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools welcomed 1,957 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Asian students made up 0.8% of the student body, making them the second least 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 Asian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of seven 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 Asian Students	Asian %
2022-23	1,957	16	0.8%
2021-22	1,978	16	0.8%
2020-21	1,939	14	0.7%
2019-20	1,973	18	0.9%
2018-19	2,023	20	1%
2017-18	2,171	23	1.1%
2016-17	2,247	25	1.1%
2015-16	2,264	26	1.1%