North Michigan News

There were 3,719 students enrolled in Alpena County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 1.3% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Boys made up 51.1% of the county student body, while the other 48.9% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 92% of the student body, the biggest percentage in Alpena County schools, followed by 4% of multiracial students, 2.8% of Hispanic students, 0.6% of African American students, 0.3% of Asian students, 0.2% of American Indian students and less than 0.1% of Hawaiian students.

Alpena High School had the highest enrollment among Alpena County's 10 schools in the 2022-23 school year, welcoming 1,101 students.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	Total enrollment in 2021-22	Total enrollment in 2022-23	% change
Alpena High School	1,155	1,101	-4.7
Thunder Bay Junior High School	831	844	1.6
Ella M. White Elementary School	470	472	0.4
Besser Elementary School	429	456	6.3
Wilson Elementary School	246	260	5.7
Sanborn Elementary School	166	195	17.5
Hinks Elementary School	138	137	-0.7
Lincoln Elementary School	134	137	2.2
ACES Academy	61	70	14.8
Pied Piper School	42	47	11.9