UP Gazette

Marquette Area Public Schools had the highest enrollment among Marquette County districts, welcoming 3,235 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, 50.9% of them were boys, and 49.1% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 85.9% of the Marquette Area Public Schools total enrollment.

Among the 10 districts in Marquette County, Negaunee Public Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 1,554 students, while NICE Community School District welcomed 1,112 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Marquette Area Public Schools roughly covers schools within Marquette County, with its main office in Marquette.

In the previous school year, Marquette Area Public Schools also had the highest number of students among Marquette 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
Marquette Area Public Schools	Marquette	3,235
Negaunee Public Schools	Negaunee	1,554
NICE Community School District	Ishpeming	1,112
Gwinn Area Community Schools	Gwinn	907
Ishpeming Public School District No. 1	Ishpeming	629
Marquette-Alger RESA	Marquette	237
North Star Montessori Academy	Marquette	145
Republic-Michigamme Schools	Republic	80
Powell Township Schools	Big Bay	46
Wells Township School District	Arnold	8