There were 5,226 white students enrolled in Isabella County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 2.4% less 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, white students comprised 77.9% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 20 schools in Isabella County, Mt. Pleasant Senior High School recorded the largest enrollment of white students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 771 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 white students enrolment | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Isabella Day Treatment | 100% | 6 |
| Winn Elementary School | 92.4% | 224 |
| Beal City Elementary School | 92.1% | 265 |
| Beal City High School | 91.8% | 376 |
| Weidman Elementary School | 88.4% | 258 |
| Shepherd High School | 88.2% | 519 |
| Flextech High School Shepherd | 86.1% | 79 |
| Shepherd Elementary School | 85.1% | 544 |
| Shepherd Middle School | 84.4% | 390 |
| GIRESD Center Programs | 80.1% | 216 |
| Ganiard School | 80% | 220 |
| Odyssey Middle – High School | 78.3% | 69 |
| Fancher School | 73.1% | 431 |
| Mt. Pleasant Middle School | 73.1% | 666 |
| Mt. Pleasant Senior High School | 72.3% | 1,066 |
| Vowles School | 70.6% | 235 |
| Renaissance Public School Academy | 68.7% | 428 |
| Mary McGuire School | 65.6% | 276 |
| Pullen Elementary School | 61.7% | 303 |
| WAY Oasis | 53.6% | 138 |