Capitol News

There were 11,900 white students enrolled in Eaton County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 1.4% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Eaton County welcomed 16,717 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, white students comprised 71.2% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 45 schools in Eaton County, Grand Ledge High School recorded the largest enrollment of white students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 1,284 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
Strange School	95.5%	22
Fern Persons Elementary School	94.4%	374
Eaton RESA Meadowview Offsite	94.1%	68
Island City Academy	92.9%	197
Maplewood School	92.5%	267
Maple Valley Junior-Senior High School	92.5%	375
Olivet Middle School	91.8%	461
Olivet High School	91.1%	404
Parkview Elementary School	88.7%	283
Bellevue Junior-Senior High School	88.6%	281
Charlotte Senior High School	87.6%	644
Charlotte Middle School	86.9%	406
Eaton Rapids High School	86.8%	637
Bellevue Elementary School	86.3%	226
Eaton Rapids Middle School	86.1%	410
Lockwood Elementary School	85.5%	303
Potterville High School	84.7%	209
Potterville Middle School	83.3%	222
Charlotte Public Schools Project Success	82.6%	23
Maple Valley Pathways High School	82.6%	23
Galewood Early Elementary School	82.2%	146
Greyhound Intermediate School	82.1%	375
Charlotte Upper Elementary School	81.6%	527
Washington Elementary School	81.2%	255
Eaton RESA Meadowview Onsite	80.6%	36
T. C. Holbrook Elementary School	78.3%	506
Potterville Elementary School	78%	322
Greyhound Central Performance Academy	77.6%	76
Greyhound Central Elementary School	77.2%	114
Grand Ledge High School	75.4%	1,704
Kenneth T. Beagle Middle School	72.9%	835
LifeTech Academy	72.8%	378
Relevant Academy of Eaton County	72.6%	62
Willow Ridge Elementary School	72.3%	542
Leon W. Hayes Intermediate School	69%	810
Eaton County Youth Facility	66.7%	24
Delta Center Elementary School	58.7%	528
SAIL - Waverly	54.5%	11
Insight School of Michigan	52.8%	867
Dimondale Elementary School	47.8%	381
Elmwood Elementary School	39.8%	379
Winans Elementary School	29.8%	392
Waverly Senior High School	27.6%	988
Waverly Middle School	27.3%	451
Meryl S. Colt Early Childhood Education Center	19%	184