Holland Reporter

Wayland Union Schools had the highest enrollment among Allegan County districts, welcoming 2,729 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 51.7% of them were boys, and 48.3% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 85% of the Wayland Union Schools total enrollment.

Among the 13 districts in Allegan County, Plainwell Community Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 2,634 students, while Hamilton Community Schools welcomed 2,528 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Wayland Union Schools roughly covers schools within Allegan County, with its main office in Wayland.

In the previous school year, Wayland Union Schools also had the highest number of students among Allegan County schools.

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.

District	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Wayland Union Schools	Wayland	2,729
Plainwell Community Schools	Plainwell	2,634
Hamilton Community Schools	Hamilton	2,528
Otsego Public Schools	Otsego	2,368
Allegan Public Schools	Allegan	2,046
Hopkins Public Schools	Hopkins	1,419
Fennville Public Schools	Fennville	1,219
Saugatuck Public Schools	Douglas	819
Martin Public Schools	Martin	630
Allegan Area Educational Service Agency	Allegan	589
Innocademy Allegan Campus	Fennville	102
Outlook Academy	Allegan	46
Glenn Public School District	Glenn	41