UP Gazette

Sault Area High School had the largest enrollment among Chippewa County schools, welcoming 692 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, 51.4% of them were boys, and 48.6% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 56.5% of the Sault Area High School total enrollment.

Among the 18 schools in Chippewa County, Rudyard Area Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 602 students, while Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy welcomed 601 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Sault Area High School is part of Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools, which roughly covers schools within Chippewa County, with its main office in Sault Sainte Marie.

In the previous school year, Sault Area High School also had the largest 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.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Sault Area High School	Sault Sainte Marie	692
Rudyard Area Schools	Rudyard	602
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	Sault Sainte Marie	601
Sault Area Middle School	Sault Sainte Marie	498
Brimley Area School	Brimley	463
Pickford Public Schools	Pickford	430
Lincoln School	Sault Sainte Marie	342
Washington Elementary School	Sault Sainte Marie	195
Ojibwe Charter School	Brimley	125
Lake Superior Academy	Sault S Marie	93
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	De Tour Village	77
Malcolm High School	Sault S Marie	71
EUPISD Learning Center	Rudyard	61
Consolidated Community School Services	Kincheloe	59
Drummond Island Elementary School	Drummond Island	53
DeTour High School	De Tour Village	45
Whitefish Township School	Paradise	42
EUPISD Project Search	Sault S Marie	6