UP Gazette

There were 48 African American students enrolled in Houghton County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 84.6% 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, African American students comprised 0.9% of the student body to be the third lowest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 17 schools in Houghton County, Lake Linden-Hubbell Schools recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of nine 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
Lake Linden-Hubbell Schools	2.5	355
Houghton Elementary School	1.2	654
Copper Island Academy	2	350
Hancock Middle-High School	1.9	322
Calumet High School	1.2	499
E. B. Holman Elementary School	1.6	184
Houghton Central High School	0.4	478
Calumet Laurium & Keweenaw Elementary School	0.4	504
Jeffers High School	0.7	269
Barkell Elementary School	0.4	255
Washington Middle School	0.4	277
Houghton Middle School	0.3	346
Dollar BayTamarack City Area K-12 School	0	314
Chassell K-12 School	0	196
Copper Country Learning Center	0	83
South Range Elementary School	0	189
Elm River Township School	0	6