West Central Michigan News

Foster School had the highest enrollment among Mason County schools, welcoming 900 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 52.7% of them were boys, and 47.3% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 81.1% of the Foster School total enrollment.

Among the 12 schools in Mason County, Ludington High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 695 students, while O. J. DeJonge Middle School welcomed 477 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Foster School is part of Ludington Area School District, which roughly covers schools within Mason County, with its main office in Ludington.

In the previous school year, Ludington High School had the highest number of students among Mason County schools.

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 have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Foster School	Ludington	900
Ludington High School	Ludington	695
O. J. DeJonge Middle School	Ludington	477
Mason County Central High School	Scottville	407
Mason County Central Middle School	Scottville	297
Scottville Elementary School	Scottville	254
Mason County Central Upper Elementary School	Scottville	249
Mason County Eastern Elementary School	Custer	211
Mason County Eastern Junior High/High School	Custer	171
Developmental Classrooms - West Shore ESD	Ludington	110
Gateway to Success Academy	Scottville	107
Academy of Science Math and Technology Early College High School	Ludington	53