UP Gazette

There were 16 African American students enrolled in Mackinac County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 27.3% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Mackinac County welcomed 1,152 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 1.4% of the student body to be the second lowest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the nine schools in Mackinac County, LaSalle High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American 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 have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	% of African American students enrolment	Total enrollment
LaSalle High School	4	175
Engadine Schools	1.2	251
St. Ignace Elementary-Middle School	0.8	242
Gros CAP School	2.2	89
Cedarville School	0.4	227
Mackinac Island School	1.7	58
Three Lakes Academy	0	104
St. Ignace Juvenile Detention Facility	0	3
Bois Blanc Pines School	0	3