UP Gazette

There were 56 Hispanic students enrolled in Houghton County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 7.7% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Houghton County welcomed 5,281 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 1.1% of the student body to be the fourth highest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 17 schools in Houghton County, Barkell Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 10 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 Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Barkell Elementary School	3.9	255
Washington Middle School	2.9	277
Houghton Central High School	1.5	478
Dollar BayTamarack City Area K-12 School	2.2	314
Calumet Laurium & Keweenaw Elementary School	1.2	504
Hancock Middle-High School	1.2	322
Houghton Middle School	0.9	346
Jeffers High School	1.1	269
Calumet High School	0.6	499
Lake Linden-Hubbell Schools	0.6	355
Chassell K-12 School	0.5	196
Copper Island Academy	0.3	350
E. B. Holman Elementary School	0.5	184
Houghton Elementary School	0	654
Copper Country Learning Center	0	83
South Range Elementary School	0	189
Elm River Township School	0	6