West Central Michigan News

There were 5,361 students enrolled in Mecosta County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 0.9% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Boys made up 51.4% of the county student body, while the other 48.6% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 88.5% of the student body, the biggest percentage in Mecosta County schools, followed by 5.1% of multiracial students, 3.2% of Hispanic students, 2.1% of African American students, 0.6% of American Indian students, 0.5% of Asian students and less than 0.1% of Hawaiian students.

Big Rapids High School had the highest enrollment among Mecosta County's 17 schools in the 2022-23 school year, welcoming 714 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 have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

School name	Total enrollment in 2021-22	Total enrollment in 2022-23	% change
Big Rapids High School	650	714	9.8
Big Rapids Middle School	622	646	3.9
Chippewa Hills Intermediate School	570	513	-10
Chippewa Hills High School	509	476	-6.5
Morley Stanwood Elementary School	463	461	-0.4
Riverview Elementary School	405	421	4
Brookside Elementary School	372	417	12.1
Morley Stanwood High School	374	362	-3.2
Mecosta Elementary School	230	228	-0.9
Morley Stanwood Middle School	244	226	-7.4
Barryton Elementary School	189	221	16.9
Crossroads Charter Academy (K-6)	188	160	-14.9
Big Rapids Virtual School	141	152	7.8
Crossroads Charter Academy (7-12)	138	150	8.7
Mecosta-Osceola Education Center	123	117	-4.9
Mosaic School	97	97	0