UP Gazette

There were 196 American Indian students enrolled in Delta County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 4.9% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Delta County welcomed 4,402 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 4.5% 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 2023-24 school year, with a total of 45 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	4.1	1,091
Big Bay De Noc School	15.9	208
Gladstone Area High School	5.4	445
Escanaba Upper Elementary School	4.3	441
Gladstone Area Middle School	4.9	329
Webster Kindergarten Center	5.3	226
Learning Center	12.8	86
James T. Jones Elementary School	2.5	365
Cameron Elementary School	1.8	339
Lemmer Elementary School	2.1	287
Escanaba Student Success Center	6.9	87
Tri-Township School	1.6	253
Mid Peninsula School	1.8	217
Bay Pines Center	3.6	28