Kalamazoo Times

There were 6,462 African American students enrolled in Kalamazoo County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 2.1% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Data showed that Kalamazoo County welcomed 34,223 students during the 2024-25 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 18.9% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 83 schools in Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo Central High School recorded the largest enrollment of African American students in the 2024-25 school year, with a total of 700 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
Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital	100%	1
Youth Center School	84.3%	51
Youth Advancement Academy	73.7%	19
Northeastern Elementary School	66.7%	195
Woodward School for Technology and Research	62.4%	242
Edison Environmental Science Academy	62%	376
Washington Writers Academy	61.2%	260
Kalamazoo Covenant Academy	58.2%	194
Lincoln International Studies School	52.9%	306
Phoenix Alternative High School	50.9%	220
Kalamazoo Innovative Learning Program	50.4%	137
Spring Valley Center for Exploration	50.2%	263
Woods Lake Elementary - A Magnet Center for the Arts	49.5%	501
Paramount Charter Academy	48.8%	373
Hillside Middle School	43.9%	476
Kalamazoo Central High School	43.4%	1,613
Arcadia Elementary School	42.5%	355
Linden Grove Middle School	42%	727
Prairie Ridge Elementary School	36.3%	449
Greenwood Elementary School	34.4%	93
Milwood Elementary School	34%	362
Transition Services	31.6%	19
Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts	31.3%	889
Comstock Compass High School	29.9%	311
Milwood Magnet School	29.7%	731
Indian Prairie Elementary School	29.6%	169
Northglade Montessori School	28.4%	271
Loy Norrix High School	27.7%	1,785
Comstock Middle School	26.4%	276
Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary School	25.5%	427
King-Westwood Elementary School	23.9%	531
Valley Center School	23.3%	30
Comstock Elementary School	23.3%	597
WoodsEdge Learning Center	23.2%	224
Galesburg-Augusta Alternative Education	22.6%	31
Winchell Elementary School	19.4%	465
Comstock High School	17.6%	358
Parchment Innovation Center	16.8%	119
Portage Community High School	16.1%	137
Kalamazoo RESA West Campus - Young Adult Program	16.1%	199
Parchment Northwood Elementary School	14.6%	178
Amberly Elementary School	14.2%	513
Oakland Academy	14.1%	149
12th Street Elementary School	13.8%	589
Parchment North Elementary School	13.5%	208
Parchment High School	12.4%	412
Parchment Central Elementary School	11.8%	289
Parchment Middle School	11.6%	352
Portage North Middle School	11.3%	609
Haverhill Elementary School	10.6%	378
Portage Northern High School	10.2%	1,194
Climax-Scotts Virtual Academy	9.8%	123
STEM Academy	9.1%	298
Central Elementary School	8%	439
Woodland Elementary School	7.5%	348
Angling Road Elementary School	7.2%	360
Gull Lake Gateway Academy	7.1%	28
Portage West Middle School	6.8%	717
Elementary Sol Elementary School	6%	368
Richland Elementary School	5.6%	412
Galesburg-Augusta Primary School	4.3%	399
Portage Central Middle School	4.2%	719
Gull Lake Middle School	3.6%	717
Moorsbridge Elementary School	3.4%	591
Portage Central High School	3.2%	1,391
Gull Lake High School	3.2%	877
Thomas M. Ryan Intermediate School	3%	698
Galesburg-Augusta High School	2.7%	263
Vicksburg Pathways High School	2.4%	126
Lake Center Elementary School	2.2%	494
Cooper Elementary School	2.1%	288
Galesburg-Augusta Middle School	2%	302
Vicksburg Middle School	2%	601
Sunset Lake Elementary School	1.7%	465
Vicksburg High School	1.4%	724
Tobey Elementary School	0.8%	379
Indian Lake Elementary School	0.8%	265
Kellogg Elementary School	0.7%	278
Schoolcraft High School	0.6%	502
Climax-Scotts Elementary School	0.4%	234
Schoolcraft Elementary School	0.3%	583
Climax-Scotts High School	0.3%	294
Alamo Elementary School	0.3%	287