UP Gazette

Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools had the highest enrollment among Chippewa County districts, welcoming 1,810 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 52.4% of them were boys, and 47.6% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 55.7% 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 603 students, while Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy welcomed 601 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 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.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,427,386 students enrolled in Michigan schools, a figure 4.8% below the pre-pandemic total of 1,499,552 in 2019-20, with white students seeing the largest decline of approximately 3%.

Academic performance in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to the 2024 NAEP results, the share of students reaching the basic benchmark in core subjects is about 10 percentage points lower than in 2019—except for fourth-grade math, which saw a decline of just 2 points.

Achievement gaps between ethnic groups also persist. On average, Hispanic students scored 15 points below white students. The gap was even wider for Black students, who scored about 30 points lower than their white peers.

The 2025 education budget, approved by Gov. Whitmer last July, totals $23.4 billion—$900 million less than the previous year’s budget. K-12 schools are working with $20.6 billion, a reduction from the $21.5 billion allocated in 2024.

However, some school superintendents and educators were concerned about the new budget. "Schools cannot function properly without adequate funding for safety and mental health," stated Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, referring to a significant cut of around $301 million from school safety and mental health programs. Based on the current bill, the program will receive just $26.5 million.

District	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools	Sault Sainte Marie	1,810
Rudyard Area Schools	Rudyard	603
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	Sault Sainte Marie	601
Brimley Area Schools	Brimley	463
Pickford Public Schools	Pickford	430
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD	Sault S Marie	325
Ojibwe Charter School	Brimley	125
DeTour Area Schools	De Tour Village	98
Lake Superior Academy	Sault S Marie	93
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	De Tour Village	77
Whitefish Township Schools	Paradise	42