UP Gazette

There were 4,792 students enrolled in Chippewa County school districts in the 2022-23 school year, 0.6% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The county's data showed that eighth grade had the biggest classes with 383 students during the 2022-23 school year, while pre-kindergarten saw the smallest enrollment that year with just 219 students.

Countywide, Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools welcomed the most students during the 2022-23 school year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the article are located in cities associated with Chippewa County.

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 have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

District	Total enrollment in 2021-22	Total enrollment in 2022-23	% Change from Previous Year
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools	1,978	1,957	-1.1
Rudyard Area Schools	627	603	-3.8
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	603	596	-1.2
Pickford Public Schools	461	463	0.4
Brimley Area Schools	484	460	-5
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD	240	261	8.7
Ojibwe Charter School	138	144	4.3
DeTour Area Schools	84	93	10.7
Lake Superior Academy	88	85	-3.4
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	64	67	4.7
Whitefish Township Schools	53	63	18.9