Holland Reporter

There were 29,294 white students enrolled in Ottawa County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 1.9% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Ottawa County welcomed 42,379 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, white students comprised 69.1% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 98 schools in Ottawa County, Hudsonville High School recorded the largest enrollment of white students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 1,712 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
Spring Lake Middle School	91.6%	345
Spring Lake High School	91.3%	795
Walden Green Montessori	91.2%	251
Spring Lake Intermediate School	90%	330
Rosy Mound School	89.3%	243
Jeffers Elementary School	88.7%	379
Coopersville High School	88.5%	860
Holmes Elementary School	87.8%	409
Park Elemementary School	87.7%	260
Rosewood School	87.5%	481
Coopersville West Early Childhood Center	87.2%	352
Alward Elementary School	86.9%	435
Coopersville Middle School	86.3%	584
Georgetown Elementary School	86.2%	450
Bauer Elementary School	86%	329
Hudsonville High School	85.8%	1,995
Jamestown Upper Elementary School	85.6%	327
Baldwin Street Middle School	85.4%	610
Forest Grove Elementary School	85.4%	254
Central High School	85.4%	89
Coopersville East Elementary School	84.8%	315
White Pines Intermediate School	84.7%	740
Spring Lake Alternative Education	84.6%	13
Grand Haven High School	84.2%	1,630
Peach Plains School	84.1%	328
Grand Haven Cyber School	84%	106
Pinewood School	83.8%	320
Lakeshore Middle School	83.8%	733
Career Development School	83.3%	6
Coopersville South Elementary School	82.8%	337
Riley Street Middle School	81.8%	688
Jenison High School	81.1%	1,506
Adams Elementary School	81%	343
Jamestown Lower Elementary School	79.9%	289
Oakwood Intermediate School	79.3%	347
Griffin Elementary School	79.2%	308
Evergreen Elementary School	79.2%	573
Bauerwood School	79%	480
Mary A. White School	78.5%	260
Jenison Junior High School	78.5%	754
Allendale High School	78.2%	737
Zeeland Quest	77.8%	144
South Elementary School	77.7%	391
Allendale Middle School	77.5%	564
Roerink-Knoll Education Center	77.4%	212
CAPS Academy	77.3%	22
Jenison Public Schools Early Childhood Center	77.2%	189
Allendale Early Childhood Center	76.7%	279
Robinson School	76.7%	223
Ferry School	76.3%	232
Quincy Elementary School	76%	455
ICademy Global	75.6%	197
Jenison International Academy	75.5%	159
Waukazoo Elementary School	75.1%	466
Lake Hills Elementary School	74.7%	273
Jenison Innovation Academy Elementary School	74.7%	83
Cityside Middle School	74.4%	771
Elementary Puente Spanish Immersion	73.9%	380
Sandy Hill School	73.9%	402
Creekside Middle School	73.8%	577
Zeeland East High School	72.4%	935
Lincoln Elementary School	72.3%	361
Zeeland West High School	71.9%	975
West Michigan Academy of Arts and Academics	71.4%	371
Lakewood Elementary School	71.3%	293
New Groningen School	70.9%	512
New Options High School	70.6%	51
Bursley School	69.8%	404
Ottawa Area Center	69.2%	104
Woodbridge Elementary School	69%	361
Black River Public School Elementary	64.8%	395
Black River Public School Middle-High	59.4%	569
Roosevelt Elementary School	58.6%	261
Venture Academy	58.5%	82
Sheldon Woods Elementary School	55.2%	145
Innocademy	51.9%	268
Lakeshore Elementary School	50.9%	440
Lighthouse Academy Juvenile Justice Institute	50%	14
West Ottawa Virtual Academy	50%	40
Sheldon Pines School	43.5%	23
West	41.4%	413
Lighthouse Academy Ottawa Juvenile Detention Center	41.2%	17
Harbor Lights Middle School	38.8%	903
Holland Middle School	38.3%	605
West Ottawa High School Campus	38.1%	2,187
Macatawa Bay Middle School	35%	632
Holland High School	33.1%	967
Holland Language Academy at Van Raalte	32.2%	307
North Holland Elementary School	28.1%	267
Holland Heights	27.5%	247
Dunes Alternative High School	27.2%	81
Vanderbilt Charter Academy	26.4%	401
Eagle Crest Charter Academy	25.8%	561
Great Lakes Elementary School	24.9%	426
Jefferson	24.8%	254
Holland Virtual Technology High School	20.8%	48
Woodside Elementary School	20.2%	431
Pine Creek Elementary School	13.2%	418