UP Gazette

There were 206 American Indian students enrolled in Delta County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 12% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Delta County welcomed 4,379 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 4.7% of the student body to be the third highest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 14 schools in Delta County, Escanaba Junior-Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 51 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 have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	% of American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Escanaba Junior-Senior High School	4.6	1,100
Big Bay De Noc School	18.2	176
Gladstone Area High School	5.3	430
James T. Jones Elementary School	4.7	343
Escanaba Upper Elementary School	3.7	436
Gladstone Area Middle School	4.7	339
Lemmer Elementary School	3.9	283
Learning Center	12.5	88
Escanaba Student Success Center	11.6	86
Cameron Elementary School	1.9	378
Tri-Township School	1.8	278
Webster Kindergarten Center	1.8	224
Mid Peninsula School	2.1	191
Bay Pines Center	0	27