Tri-City Sun

There were 39 African American students enrolled in Gratiot County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 11.4% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Gratiot County welcomed 5,031 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 0.8% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 22 schools in Gratiot County, St. Louis Correctional Facility recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of eight 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 African American students enrolment	Total enrollment
St. Louis Correctional Facility	61.5%	13
Ashley High School	2.1%	48
Fulton Elementary School	1.5%	261
Eugene M. Nikkari Elementary School	1.4%	215
T. S. Nurnberger Middle School	1.4%	217
North Elementary School	1%	295
Alma Senior High School	0.9%	552
South Elementary School	0.9%	234
Pine Avenue Elementary School	0.8%	265
St. Louis High School	0.8%	244
Fulton High School	0.6%	173
Carrie Knause Early Childhood Learning Center	0.5%	206
Hillcrest Elementary School	0.3%	400
Breckenridge Elementary School	0.3%	324
Breckenridge High School	0.3%	310
Donald L. Pavlik Middle School	0.2%	457
Ashley Middle School	0%	54
Ithaca High School	0%	442
Luce Road Elementary School	0%	141
Ashley Elementary School	0%	60
Fulton Middle School	0%	119
Central Michigan Correctional Facility	0%	1