Shiawassee Times

There were 14 American Indian students enrolled in Shiawassee County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 7.7% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Shiawassee County welcomed 10,130 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 0.1% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 29 schools in Shiawassee County, Laingsburg Middle School, Laingsburg Elementary School, Bryant School, and Byron Area Elementary School recorded the largest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of two 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 American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Laingsburg Middle School	0.8%	251
Lincoln Alternative High School	0.8%	131
Byron Area Elementary School	0.6%	310
Bryant School	0.5%	431
Morrice Area High School	0.5%	215
Perry Elementary School	0.5%	193
Laingsburg Elementary School	0.4%	521
Robert Kerr School	0.3%	361
Owosso Middle School	0.2%	641
Corunna Middle School	0.2%	438
Perry Middle School	0%	307
Elsa Meyer Elementary School	0%	484
Durand Area High School	0%	385
Emerson School	0%	421
Central School	0%	409
Corunna High School	0%	610
Owosso High School	0%	805
Durand Middle School	0%	304
Laingsburg High School	0%	340
Perry High School	0%	476
Bertha Neal School	0%	158
Morrice Area Elementary School	0%	196
Byron Area High School	0%	200
New Lothrop Elementary School	0%	505
Shiawassee RESD Student Learning Center - West	0%	184
New Lothrop High School	0%	398
Leonard Elementary School	0%	284
Byron Area Middle School	0%	142
Ovid-Elsie Community Education/Alternative High School	0%	30