Thumb Reporter

Lapeer High School had the largest enrollment among Lapeer County schools, welcoming 1,006 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, 52% of them were girls, and 48% were boys.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 89.8% of the Lapeer High School total enrollment.

Among the 27 schools in Lapeer County, North Branch Elementary School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 964 students, while Ruth Fox Middle School welcomed 722 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Lapeer High School is part of Lapeer Community Schools, which roughly covers schools within Lapeer County, with its main office in Lapeer.

In the previous school year, Lapeer High School also had the largest number of students among Lapeer 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.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Lapeer High School	Lapeer	1,006
North Branch Elementary School	North Branch	964
Ruth Fox Middle School	North Branch	722
North Branch High School	North Branch	695
Zemmer Campus (8-9)	Lapeer	628
Rolland Warner Campus 6-7	Lapeer	610
Imlay City High School	Imlay City	554
Almont High School	Almont	531
Chatfield School	Lapeer	483
C. K. Schickler Elementary School	Lapeer	457
Almont Middle School	Almont	430
Orchard Primary School	Almont	428
Borland Elementary School	Imlay City	396
Imlay City Middle School	Imlay City	395
Elva Lynch Elementary School	Lapeer	390
Weston Elementary School	Imlay City	389
Turrill Elementary School	Lapeer	389
Emma Murphy Elementary School	Metamora	374
Columbiaville Elementary School	Otisville	347
Dryden Elementary School	Dryden	224
Dryden High School	Dryden	214
Center for Innovation	Lapeer	210
Lapeer County Education and Technology Center	Attica	56
Quest High School	North Branch	42
Venture High School	Imlay City	24
STRIVE Transition Program	Lapeer	18
Thumb Correctional Facility	Lapeer	10