UP Gazette

Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools had the highest enrollment among Chippewa County districts, welcoming 1,921 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 53.3% of them were boys, and 46.7% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 56.3% of the Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools total enrollment.

Among the 11 districts in Chippewa County, Rudyard Area Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 604 students, while Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy welcomed 597 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools roughly covers schools within Chippewa County, with its main office in Sault Sainte Marie.

In the previous school year, Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools also had the highest number of students among Chippewa County schools.

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	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools	Sault Sainte Marie	1,921
Rudyard Area Schools	Rudyard	604
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	Sault Sainte Marie	597
Brimley Area Schools	Brimley	451
Pickford Public Schools	Pickford	433
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD	Sault S Marie	262
Ojibwe Charter School	Brimley	137
DeTour Area Schools	De Tour Village	91
Lake Superior Academy	Sault S Marie	91
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	De Tour Village	80
Whitefish Township Schools	Paradise	48