UP Gazette

There were 2,384 white students enrolled in Chippewa County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 3.9% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Chippewa County welcomed 4,455 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, white students comprised 53.5% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 18 schools in Chippewa County, Sault Area High School recorded the largest enrollment of white students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 391 students.

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	% of white students enrolment	Total enrollment
Drummond Island Elementary School	84.9%	53
EUPISD Project Search	83.3%	6
DeTour High School	77.8%	45
Whitefish Township School	76.2%	42
Pickford Public Schools	70%	430
Lake Superior Academy	69.9%	93
DeTour Arts and Technology Academy	62.3%	77
Sault Area Middle School	61%	498
Rudyard Area Schools	60.3%	602
EUPISD Learning Center	59%	61
Sault Area High School	56.5%	692
Lincoln School	50.9%	342
Malcolm High School	50.7%	71
Washington Elementary School	48.7%	195
Consolidated Community School Services	45.8%	59
Brimley Area School	41.9%	463
Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe Academy	36.1%	601
Ojibwe Charter School	12.8%	125