North Michigan News

Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy had the largest enrollment among Manistee County schools, welcoming 3,519 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 50.8% of them were girls, and 49.2% were boys.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 54.9% of the Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy total enrollment.

Among the 13 schools in Manistee County, Manistee Middle High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 669 students, while Onekama Consolidated Schools welcomed 281 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy is part of Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, which roughly covers schools within Manistee County, with its main office in Manistee.

In the previous school year, Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy also had the largest number of students among Manistee County schools.

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	City	Total School Enrollment
Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy	Manistee	3,519
Manistee Middle High School	Manistee	669
Onekama Consolidated Schools	Onekama	281
KND Elementary School	Brethren	281
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	Manistee	281
John F. Kennedy Elementary School	Manistee	272
Brethren High School	Brethren	169
Bear Lake Elementary School	Bear Lake	166
Betsie Valley School	Thompsonville	140
Bear Lake High School	Bear Lake	118
Brethren Middle School	Brethren	81
Casman Alternative Academy	Manistee	64
Manistee ISD Center Programs	Manistee	55