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 Grand Traverse County welcomed 11,900 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 2.4% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 30 schools in Grand Traverse County, Central High School recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 38 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse Heights Elementary School | 9% | 245 |
| North Ed New Horizons | 6.7% | 75 |
| Traverse City High School | 5.8% | 171 |
| Fife Lake Elementary School | 4.2% | 144 |
| Cherry Knoll Elementary School | 4.2% | 333 |
| Courtade Elementary School | 4.2% | 215 |
| Central Grade School | 3.3% | 510 |
| TCAPS Montessori School | 3.3% | 331 |
| The Greenspire School | 3.2% | 93 |
| North Ed Creekside School | 3.1% | 64 |
| East Middle School | 3% | 829 |
| Central High School | 2.9% | 1,326 |
| Grand Traverse Academy | 2.8% | 824 |
| Blair Elementary School | 2.5% | 202 |
| Life Skills Center | 2.3% | 131 |
| Eastern Elementary School | 2.1% | 475 |
| West Senior High School | 2% | 1,384 |
| West Middle School | 1.9% | 1,081 |
| Kingsley Area High School | 1.7% | 401 |
| Long Lake Elementary School | 1.6% | 364 |
| Old Mission Peninsula School | 1.4% | 146 |
| Silver Lake Elementary School | 1.4% | 286 |
| Willow Hill Elementary School | 1.2% | 429 |
| Kingsley Area Middle School | 1.1% | 366 |
| Kingsley Area Elementary School | 1.1% | 655 |
| Westwoods Elementary School | 0.8% | 365 |
| The Greenspire School | 0% | 176 |
| 0% | 233 | |
| Woodland School | 0% | 209 |
| North Ed Bridgeway | 0% | 70 |
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