Holland Reporter

There were 257 African American students enrolled in Allegan County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 1.5% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Allegan County welcomed 17,979 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 1.4% of the student body to be the fourth highest represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 54 schools in Allegan County, Baseline Middle School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 36 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	% of African American students enrolment	Total enrollment
Baseline Middle School	8.7	412
North Shore Elementary School	8.9	247
L. E. White Middle School	3.6	447
Pine Trails Elementary School	4.1	344
Allegan High School	1.7	648
West Ward Elementary School	4.5	246
Plainwell Middle School	1.7	596
Otsego High School	1.1	751
Wayland Union Middle School	1.1	649
Wayland High School	0.8	828
Paris Ridge Elementary School	2.2	325
Hamilton High School	0.9	781
Washington Street Elementary School	1.6	450
Pine Street Elementary School	1.5	401
Pullman Elementary School	2.9	210
Hopkins Elementary School	1.6	386
Starr Elementary School	1.1	460
Hamilton Middle School	0.7	719
Dawson Elementary School	1.7	297
Plainwell High School	0.6	815
Otsego Middle School	0.9	527
Fennville Public High School	1.3	378
Martin High School	1.5	332
Bessie B. Baker School	1.3	297
Hopkins High School	0.8	498
Hamilton Flex	0.5	547
Dix Street Elementary School	0.9	316
Hamilton Elementary School	0.8	355
Dorr School	0.9	343
Douglas Elementary School	0.8	353
Allegan Alternative High School	2.4	123
Blue Star Elementary School	0.9	219
Fennville Elementary School	0.4	523
Hillside Learning Behavior Center	1.4	138
Hopkins Middle School	0.6	349
Career Connections Academy	5	40
Renaissance High School	2.4	84
RJ Steeby School	0.4	272
Outlook Academy Youth Home Campus	6.3	16
Saugatuck Middle School	0.5	190
Gilkey Elementary School	0	393
Robert D. Brandon Elementary School	0	278
Fennville Middle School	0	298
Sycamore Elementary School	0	243
Bentheim Elementary School	0	214
Innocademy Allegan Campus	0	94
Allegan Online K-8	0	46
Saugatuck High School	0	259
Pearl Alternative/Adult Education School	0	44
Outlook Academy	0	41
Glenn Public School	0	33
North Ward Elementary School	0	34
Sandyview Elementary School	0	63
Otsego West Campus High School	0	27