Tri-City Sun

There were 1,892 students enrolled in Arenac County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.5% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Boys made up 51.4% of the county student body, while the other 48.6% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 94% of the student body, the biggest percentage in Arenac County schools, followed by 2.7% of Hispanic students, 1.9% of multiracial students, 0.6% of African American students, 0.5% of American Indian students and 0.3% of Asian students.

Standish-Sterling Central Junior-Senior High School had the highest enrollment among Arenac County's seven schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 659 students.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% change
Standish-Sterling Central Junior-Senior High School	694	659	-5
Standish-Sterling Central Elementary School	636	649	2
Sterling Elementary School	175	174	-0.6
Au Gres-Sims Elementary School	180	166	-7.8
Au Gres-Sims High School	141	149	5.7
Au Gres-Sims Middle School	95	95	0