Holland Reporter

There were 17,188 students enrolled in Allegan County school districts in the 2023-24 school year, 2.9% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The county's data showed that kindergarten had the biggest classes with 1,510 students during the 2023-24 school year, while pre-kindergarten saw the smallest enrollment that year with just 365 students.

Countywide, Wayland Union Schools welcomed the most students during the 2023-24 school year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the article are located in cities associated with Allegan County.

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.

District	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% Change from Previous Year
Wayland Union Schools	2,849	2,765	-2.9
Plainwell Community Schools	2,623	2,647	0.9
Hamilton Community Schools	2,905	2,526	-13
Otsego Public Schools	2,363	2,377	0.6
Allegan Public Schools	2,198	2,128	-3.2
Hopkins Public Schools	1,480	1,443	-2.5
Fennville Public Schools	1,247	1,258	0.9
Saugatuck Public Schools	802	793	-1.1
Martin Public Schools	614	619	0.8
Allegan Area Educational Service Agency	428	433	1.2
Innocademy Allegan Campus	94	95	1.1
Outlook Academy	57	65	14
Glenn Public School District	33	39	18.2