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, Hawaiian students comprised 0.3% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 30 schools in Grand Traverse County, Grand Traverse Academy recorded the largest enrollment of Hawaiian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of eight 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 Hawaiian students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| North Ed Bridgeway | 1.4% | 70 |
| Traverse Heights Elementary School | 1.2% | 245 |
| The Greenspire School | 1.1% | 176 |
| Grand Traverse Academy | 1% | 824 |
| Cherry Knoll Elementary School | 0.9% | 333 |
| Central Grade School | 0.8% | 510 |
| Kingsley Area Middle School | 0.8% | 366 |
| Long Lake Elementary School | 0.5% | 364 |
| Blair Elementary School | 0.5% | 202 |
| East Middle School | 0.4% | 829 |
| West Senior High School | 0.4% | 1,384 |
| TCAPS Montessori School | 0.3% | 331 |
| Kingsley Area Elementary School | 0.2% | 655 |
| Kingsley Area High School | 0.2% | 401 |
| Eastern Elementary School | 0.2% | 475 |
| Central High School | 0.1% | 1,326 |
| West Middle School | 0.1% | 1,081 |
| Life Skills Center | 0% | 131 |
| Traverse City High School | 0% | 171 |
| North Ed Creekside School | 0% | 64 |
| North Ed New Horizons | 0% | 75 |
| Fife Lake Elementary School | 0% | 144 |
| Woodland School | 0% | 209 |
| Westwoods Elementary School | 0% | 365 |
| Courtade Elementary School | 0% | 215 |
| Silver Lake Elementary School | 0% | 286 |
| 0% | 233 | |
| Old Mission Peninsula School | 0% | 146 |
| Willow Hill Elementary School | 0% | 429 |
| The Greenspire School | 0% | 93 |
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