There were 5,033 students enrolled in Mecosta County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 0.9% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
Boys made up 51.5% of the county student body, while the other 48.5% were girls.
Data also showed that white students made up 87.4% of the student body, the highest percentage in Mecosta County schools, followed by 6% multiracial, 3.3% Hispanic, 2% African American, 0.7% American Indian, 0.4% Asian and 0.1% Hawaiian students.
Big Rapids High School had the highest enrollment among Mecosta County’s 17 schools in the 2024-25 school year, welcoming 755 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.
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 | Total enrollment in 2023-24 | Total enrollment in 2024-25 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids High School | 747 | 755 | 1.1% |
| Big Rapids Middle School | 618 | 644 | 4.2% |
| Chippewa Hills Intermediate School | 515 | 503 | -2.3% |
| Chippewa Hills High School | 459 | 463 | 0.9% |
| Morley Stanwood Elementary School | 432 | 437 | 1.2% |
| Riverview Elementary School | 321 | 346 | 7.8% |
| Brookside Elementary School | 342 | 336 | -1.8% |
| Morley Stanwood High School | 309 | 287 | -7.1% |
| Mecosta Elementary School | 252 | 256 | 1.6% |
| Morley Stanwood Middle School | 234 | 234 | 0% |
| Barryton Elementary School | 205 | 204 | -0.5% |
| Mecosta-Osceola Education Center | 131 | 144 | 9.9% |
| Crossroads Charter Academy (7-12) | 144 | 117 | -18.8% |
| Big Rapids Virtual School | 133 | 115 | -13.5% |
| Crossroads Charter Academy (K-6) | 146 | 103 | -29.5% |
| Mosaic School | 91 | 89 | -2.2% |