Holland Reporter

There were 14,040 white students enrolled in Allegan County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 1.7% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Allegan County welcomed 17,158 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, white students comprised 81.8% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 53 schools in Allegan County, Plainwell High School recorded the largest enrollment of white students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 703 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
Career Connections Academy	94.6%	37
Sycamore Elementary School	94.2%	224
Outlook Academy	91.4%	35
Hopkins High School	91.2%	477
Outlook Academy Youth Home Campus	90.9%	11
Renaissance High School	90.7%	86
Bentheim Elementary School	90.7%	281
Hopkins Middle School	90.7%	321
Saugatuck Middle School	90.3%	186
Allegan Alternative High School	89.3%	112
Otsego High School	89.1%	708
Douglas Elementary School	89.1%	366
Plainwell Middle School	88.6%	569
Washington Street Elementary School	88.4%	448
Saugatuck High School	88%	267
Glenn Public School	87.8%	41
Pine Street Elementary School	87.7%	413
Gilkey Elementary School	87.7%	439
Otsego Middle School	87.6%	542
Hopkins Elementary School	87.5%	393
Hamilton Middle School	86.8%	707
Hamilton Elementary School	86.6%	359
Hamilton High School	86.4%	793
North Ward Elementary School	86.2%	29
Martin High School	86.1%	330
Wayland High School	85.8%	800
Robert D. Brandon Elementary School	85.3%	299
Dorr School	84.9%	311
Plainwell High School	84.9%	828
L. E. White Middle School	84.5%	427
Otsego West Campus High School	84.2%	19
West Ward Elementary School	84.2%	247
Starr Elementary School	83.9%	410
RJ Steeby School	83.6%	256
Allegan Online K-8	83.6%	73
Wayland Union Middle School	83.3%	611
Bessie B. Baker School	82.9%	280
Paris Ridge Elementary School	82.8%	303
Dawson Elementary School	82.7%	278
Dix Street Elementary School	82.1%	357
Hamilton Flex	80.8%	172
Allegan High School	80.7%	543
Blue Star Elementary School	79.7%	202
Hillside Learning Behavior Center	79.1%	129
Pine Trails Elementary School	78.8%	326
Innocademy Allegan Campus	71.6%	102
North Shore Elementary School	69.8%	255
Pearl Alternative/Adult Education School	62.9%	35
Baseline Middle School	61%	377
Fennville Middle School	45.1%	293
Fennville Public High School	44.6%	383
Pullman Elementary School	44.2%	165
Fennville Elementary School	41.6%	503