UP Gazette

There were 184 American Indian students enrolled in Delta County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 6.1% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Delta County welcomed 4,394 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 4.2% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 14 schools in Delta County, Escanaba Junior-Senior High School recorded the largest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 46 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 American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Big Bay De Noc School	13.5%	192
Learning Center	12.9%	85
Escanaba Student Success Center	7.6%	105
Gladstone Area High School	5.5%	472
Gladstone Area Middle School	4.6%	346
Escanaba Junior-Senior High School	4.2%	1,089
Escanaba Upper Elementary School	3.3%	426
Webster Kindergarten Center	3.3%	215
Lemmer Elementary School	2.7%	296
James T. Jones Elementary School	2.5%	355
Cameron Elementary School	2.2%	321
Mid Peninsula School	1.8%	220
Tri-Township School	0.8%	243
Bay Pines Center	0%	29