Tri-City Sun

There were 289 Asian students enrolled in Midland County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 1.4% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Midland County welcomed 11,359 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, Asian students comprised 2.5% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 26 schools in Midland County, H. H. Dow High School recorded the largest enrollment of Asian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 98 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 Asian students enrolment	Total enrollment
H. H. Dow High School	7.7%	1,272
Jefferson Middle School	5.3%	919
Woodcrest Elementary School	5.2%	600
Adams Elementary School	5.2%	479
Siebert School	3.6%	643
Chestnut Hill School	3.1%	416
Midland High School	1.8%	1,129
Central Park Elementary School	1.7%	646
MCESA and Sugnet School Classroom Programs	1.7%	177
Academic and Career Education Academy	1.2%	86
Northeast Middle School	0.9%	789
Meridian Early College High School	0.5%	396
Bullock Creek High School	0.4%	462
Coleman Junior-Senior High School	0.4%	244
Coleman Elementary School	0.3%	315
Bullock Creek Elementary School	0.3%	303
Bullock Creek Middle School	0.3%	348
Meridian Junior High School	0%	441
Meridian Elementary School	0%	537
Pre-Primary Center at Carpenter Street School	0%	63
Pine River Elementary School	0%	254
Floyd School	0%	306
Post Secondary Transition Program	0%	22
Plymouth Elementary School	0%	406
Windover High School	0%	95
Juvenile Care Center	0%	11