South Michigan News

There were 15 Asian students enrolled in Hillsdale County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 11.8% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Hillsdale County welcomed 5,077 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, Asian students comprised 0.3% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 22 schools in Hillsdale County, Hillsdale High School recorded the largest enrollment of Asian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of five 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 Asian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Jonesville Pathways	1.6%	62
Hillsdale High School	1.4%	370
Litchfield Elementary School	0.9%	110
Will Carleton Charter School Academy	0.7%	281
Gier Elementary School	0.5%	434
Davis Middle School	0.3%	366
Jonesville High School	0.3%	309
Camden-Frontier K-12 School	0.2%	432
Reynolds Elementary School	0.2%	404
Jonesville Middle School	0%	297
Greenfield School	0%	50
Reading High School	0%	286
Pittsford Area High School	0%	203
Pittsford Area Elementary School	0%	163
Williams Elementary School	0%	512
Litchfield High School	0%	143
North Adams-Jerome Middle-High School	0%	163
North Adams-Jerome Elementary School	0%	138
Waldron Area Schools	0%	205
Bailey Early Childhood Center	0%	34
Hillsdale Preparatory School	0%	60
Horizon Alternative School	0%	55