There were 202 African American students enrolled in Isabella County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 12.8% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
Data showed that Isabella County welcomed 6,709 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 3% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 20 schools in Isabella County, Mt. Pleasant Senior 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vowles School | 8.1% | 235 |
| Renaissance Public School Academy | 6.1% | 428 |
| Ganiard School | 5% | 220 |
| Pullen Elementary School | 4.6% | 303 |
| GIRESD Center Programs | 4.2% | 216 |
| Mary McGuire School | 4% | 276 |
| Fancher School | 3.7% | 431 |
| Mt. Pleasant Senior High School | 3.6% | 1,066 |
| WAY Oasis | 3.6% | 138 |
| Shepherd Middle School | 3.1% | 390 |
| Mt. Pleasant Middle School | 2.3% | 666 |
| Winn Elementary School | 2.2% | 224 |
| Shepherd Elementary School | 1.5% | 544 |
| Shepherd High School | 1.5% | 519 |
| Flextech High School Shepherd | 1.3% | 79 |
| Beal City High School | 0.8% | 376 |
| Weidman Elementary School | 0.4% | 258 |
| Odyssey Middle – High School | 0% | 69 |
| Beal City Elementary School | 0% | 265 |
| Isabella Day Treatment | 0% | 6 |