North Michigan News

There were 338 multiracial students enrolled in Emmet County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 0.9% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Emmet County welcomed 4,096 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, multiracial students comprised 8.3% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 14 schools in Emmet County, Petoskey High School recorded the largest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 58 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 multiracial students enrolment	Total enrollment
Pellston Elementary School	16.4%	220
Pellston Middle/High School	14.3%	258
Central Elementary School	10.3%	234
Concord Academy Petoskey	9.9%	101
Sheridan School	9.5%	252
Petoskey Middle School	8%	561
Lincoln School	7.6%	237
Mackinaw City K-12 School	7.5%	147
Alanson Public School	7.2%	223
Harbor Springs Middle School	6.9%	233
Petoskey High School	6.7%	862
Ottawa Elementary School	6%	250
Harbor Springs High School	5.8%	260
Blackbird Elementary School	5%	258