Enrollment Analysis: Asian students comprised 6.9% of Portage Public Schools's student body in 2022-23 school year

MI Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael F. Rice 2023 | Michigan Department of Education

By Kalamazoo Times

Dec 20, 2023

There were 591 Asian students enrolled in Portage Public Schools in the 2022-23 school year, a 0.3% decrease compared to the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Portage Public Schools welcomed 8,616 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Asian students made up 6.9% of the student body, making them the fourth most represented ethnicity in the district.

Portage Public Schools roughly covers 14 schools within Kalamazoo County and has its main office in Portage.

Among the 14 schools in Portage Public Schools, Portage Central High School recorded the highest enrollment of Asian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 103 students.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps widening. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

Ethnicities in Portage Public Schools in 2022-23 School Year

Enrollment Demographics in Portage Public Schools During Last 8 Years

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total Asian Students	Asian %
2022-23	8,616	591	6.9%
2021-22	8,599	593	6.9%
2020-21	8,599	620	7.2%
2019-20	8,813	622	7.1%
2018-19	8,804	571	6.5%
2017-18	8,672	552	6.4%
2016-17	8,635	550	6.4%
2015-16	8,666	565	6.5%