Thumb Reporter

There were 32 American Indian students enrolled in Lapeer County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 17.9% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Lapeer County welcomed 10,986 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 0.3% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 27 schools in Lapeer County, Weston Elementary School recorded the largest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of four 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 American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Weston Elementary School	1%	389
Center for Innovation	1%	210
Dryden High School	0.9%	214
Borland Elementary School	0.8%	396
Almont Middle School	0.7%	430
Rolland Warner Campus 6-7	0.5%	610
Turrill Elementary School	0.5%	389
Orchard Primary School	0.5%	428
Almont High School	0.4%	531
Dryden Elementary School	0.4%	224
Imlay City Middle School	0.3%	395
North Branch Elementary School	0.3%	964
Lapeer High School	0.2%	1,006
Zemmer Campus (8-9)	0.2%	628
Ruth Fox Middle School	0.1%	722
Columbiaville Elementary School	0%	347
Venture High School	0%	24
Lapeer County Education and Technology Center	0%	56
STRIVE Transition Program	0%	18
North Branch High School	0%	695
Thumb Correctional Facility	0%	10
Elva Lynch Elementary School	0%	390
Quest High School	0%	42
C. K. Schickler Elementary School	0%	457
Imlay City High School	0%	554
Chatfield School	0%	483
Emma Murphy Elementary School	0%	374