Capitol News

There were 16,728 students enrolled in Eaton County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 1.9% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Boys made up 51.3% of the county student body, while the other 48.7% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 71.2% of the student body, the highest percentage in Eaton County schools, followed by 10.5% Hispanic, 8.5% African American, 6.8% multiracial, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and less than 0.1% Hawaiian students.

Grand Ledge High School had the highest enrollment among Eaton County's 47 schools in the 2024-25 school year, welcoming 1,704 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.

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	Total enrollment in 2023-24	Total enrollment in 2024-25	% change
Grand Ledge High School	1,683	1,704	1.2%
Waverly Senior High School	968	988	2.1%
Insight School of Michigan	679	867	27.7%
Kenneth T. Beagle Middle School	840	835	-0.6%
Leon W. Hayes Intermediate School	775	810	4.5%
Charlotte Senior High School	666	644	-3.3%
Eaton Rapids High School	635	637	0.3%
Willow Ridge Elementary School	534	542	1.5%
Delta Center Elementary School	534	528	-1.1%
Charlotte Upper Elementary School	530	527	-0.6%
T. C. Holbrook Elementary School	457	506	10.7%
Olivet Middle School	452	461	2%
Waverly Middle School	424	451	6.4%
Eaton Rapids Middle School	418	410	-1.9%
Charlotte Middle School	362	406	12.2%
Olivet High School	420	404	-3.8%
Winans Elementary School	379	392	3.4%
Dimondale Elementary School	304	381	25.3%
Elmwood Elementary School	348	379	8.9%
LifeTech Academy	400	378	-5.5%
Greyhound Intermediate School	358	375	4.7%
Maple Valley Junior-Senior High School	386	375	-2.8%
Fern Persons Elementary School	375	374	-0.3%
Potterville Elementary School	308	322	4.5%
Lockwood Elementary School	325	303	-6.8%
Parkview Elementary School	303	283	-6.6%
Bellevue Junior-Senior High School	269	281	4.5%
Maplewood School	282	267	-5.3%
Washington Elementary School	249	255	2.4%
Bellevue Elementary School	281	226	-19.6%
Potterville Middle School	195	222	13.8%
Potterville High School	202	209	3.5%
Island City Academy	197	197	0%
Meryl S. Colt Early Childhood Education Center	172	184	7%
Galewood Early Elementary School	202	146	-27.7%
Greyhound Central Elementary School	115	114	-0.9%
Greyhound Central Performance Academy	78	76	-2.6%
Eaton RESA Meadowview Offsite	65	68	4.6%
Relevant Academy of Eaton County	89	62	-30.3%
Eaton RESA Meadowview Onsite	37	36	-2.7%
Eaton County Youth Facility	26	24	-7.7%
Charlotte Public Schools Project Success	34	23	-32.4%
Maple Valley Pathways High School	21	23	9.5%
Strange School	29	22	-24.1%
SAIL - Waverly	7	11	57.1%