Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction | https://radio.wcmu.org/
Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction | https://radio.wcmu.org/
Data showed that Tuscola County welcomed 6,490 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 1.5% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 25 schools in Tuscola County, Central School recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 11 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 African American students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Work and Learn Center | 66.7% | 15 |
| MALC | 10.5% | 19 |
| Highland Pines School | 5.5% | 127 |
| Central School | 3% | 366 |
| Reese High School | 2.8% | 254 |
| Reese Middle School | 2.5% | 161 |
| Vassar Senior High School | 2.3% | 427 |
| Caro Middle School | 2% | 305 |
| Cass City Elementary School | 1.5% | 459 |
| Mayville Middle High School | 1.4% | 284 |
| Reese Elementary School | 1.2% | 328 |
| Caro High School | 1.2% | 411 |
| Millington High School | 1.1% | 358 |
| Meachum Elementary School | 1.1% | 476 |
| McComb Elementary School | 0.9% | 321 |
| Mayville Elementary School | 0.8% | 248 |
| Akron-Fairgrove Elementary School | 0.6% | 179 |
| Akron-Fairgrove Junior-Senior High School | 0.6% | 181 |
| Millington Junior High School | 0.4% | 240 |
| Kingston Elementary School | 0.3% | 319 |
| Schall Elementary School | 0.3% | 295 |
| Cass City Junior and Senior High School | 0.2% | 418 |
| Akron-Fairgrove Schools Academic Learning Center | 0% | 4 |
| Caro Alternative High School | 0% | 33 |
| Kingston High School | 0% | 262 |
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