UP Gazette

There were 4,715 students enrolled in Chippewa County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 1.6% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The county's data showed that ninth grade had the biggest classes with 402 students during the 2023-24 school year, while pre-kindergarten saw the smallest enrollment that year with just 214 students.

Countywide, Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools welcomed the most students during the 2023-24 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 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% Change from Previous Year
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools	1,957	1,921	-1.8
Rudyard Area Schools	603	604	0.2
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	596	597	0.2
Brimley Area Schools	460	451	-2
Pickford Public Schools	463	433	-6.5
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD	261	262	0.4
Ojibwe Charter School	144	137	-4.9
DeTour Area Schools	93	91	-2.2
Lake Superior Academy	85	91	7.1
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	67	80	19.4
Whitefish Township Schools	63	48	-23.8