Tri-City Sun

There were 197 African American students enrolled in Midland 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 Midland County welcomed 11,359 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 1.7% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 26 schools in Midland County, Midland High School recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 32 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
Juvenile Care Center	18.2%	11
Academic and Career Education Academy	8.1%	86
MCESA and Sugnet School Classroom Programs	5.1%	177
Post Secondary Transition Program	4.5%	22
Central Park Elementary School	3.7%	646
Pre-Primary Center at Carpenter Street School	3.2%	63
Midland High School	2.8%	1,129
Northeast Middle School	2.8%	789
Plymouth Elementary School	2.7%	406
Adams Elementary School	2.1%	479
Coleman Junior-Senior High School	1.6%	244
Meridian Early College High School	1.5%	396
Woodcrest Elementary School	1.5%	600
Chestnut Hill School	1.4%	416
Coleman Elementary School	1.3%	315
H. H. Dow High School	1.3%	1,272
Jefferson Middle School	1.2%	919
Bullock Creek Middle School	1.1%	348
Windover High School	1.1%	95
Bullock Creek High School	0.9%	462
Bullock Creek Elementary School	0.7%	303
Meridian Elementary School	0.6%	537
Siebert School	0.5%	643
Meridian Junior High School	0.5%	441
Pine River Elementary School	0.4%	254
Floyd School	0%	306