Tri-City Sun

There were 13,551 white students enrolled in Saginaw County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 1.2% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Saginaw County welcomed 25,141 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, white students comprised 53.9% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 71 schools in Saginaw County, Freeland Middle School/High School recorded the largest enrollment of white students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 804 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 white students enrolment	Total enrollment
Merrill Middle School	97.9%	97
North Elementary School	95.7%	682
Merrill Elementary School	94.4%	196
Hemlock Middle School	92.6%	350
St. Charles Elementary School	92.4%	317
Hemlock Elementary School	92.2%	129
Merrill High School	91.5%	165
K. C. Ling Elementary School	91%	365
Chesaning Middle School	90.8%	584
Hemlock High School	90.6%	341
Frankenmuth High School	90.5%	504
St. Charles Community Middle-High School	90.5%	315
Marshall Greene Middle School	90.1%	548
Big Rock Elementary School	89.8%	393
Freeland Middle School/High School	89.6%	897
Chesaning Union High School	88.7%	381
E. F. Rittmueller Middle School	88.6%	368
Freeland Learning Center	87.8%	295
Lorenz C. List School	87.7%	479
Freeland Elementary School	87.2%	755
Hemlock Alternative Education	87%	54
Birch Run High School	86.8%	538
Birch Run Progressive High School	84.2%	38
Chesaning Union Schools Alternative Education	78.9%	19
Shields Elementary School	77.4%	447
Hemmeter Elementary School	77.3%	331
Robert B. Havens Elementary School	75.6%	390
Swan Valley Middle School	75.2%	408
Swan Valley High School	75%	504
St. Charles Virtual School	75%	60
Career Opportunities Center	74.2%	31
Saginaw ISD Transitions Center	65.6%	128
Swan Valley Adult and Alternative Education	58.6%	29
Heritage High School	51%	1,313
White Pine Middle School	48.9%	1,019
M. G. Millet Learning Center	48.7%	191
Omni High School	48%	125
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy	45.7%	374
Arrowwood Elementary School	43.6%	445
Zilwaukee K-8 School	41.8%	194
Weiss Elementary School	41.2%	357
Sherwood Elementary School	40.5%	531
Carrollton High School	39.4%	431
Handley School	38.9%	370
Mackinaw High School	38.4%	138
Carrollton Elementary School	36.3%	662
Westdale Elementary School	36.1%	313
Carrollton Middle School	35.2%	344
Michael J. McGivney	33.3%	3
Saginaw County Juvenile Center	30%	20
Kempton Elementary School	28.7%	279
Chester F. Miller School	25.1%	247
Herig School	20.9%	282
Thompson Middle School	20%	585
Merrill Park Elementary School	19.9%	267
Thomas White School	18.2%	187
Saginaw Correctional Facility	18.2%	11
Stone School	16.5%	273
Martin G. Atkins Elementary School	15.7%	381
Bridgeport-Spaulding Middle School-Schrah	14.8%	379
Saginaw Covenant Academy	11%	228
Arthur Hill High School	10.6%	981
Jessie Rouse School	10.4%	230
The Success Academy	9.5%	168
Bridgeport High School	9.4%	501
North Saginaw Charter Academy	9.3%	679
International Academy of Saginaw	5.4%	74
Arthur Eddy Academy	3.9%	232
Jessie Loomis School	3.2%	308
Saginaw Preparatory Academy	1.9%	376
Francis Reh PSA	0.4%	505