West Central Michigan News

There were 5,079 students enrolled in Mecosta County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 5.3% less than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Boys made up 51.7% of the county student body, while the other 48.3% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 88.8% of the student body, the biggest percentage in Mecosta County schools, followed by 5.2% of multiracial students, 3.1% of Hispanic students, 1.8% 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 2023-24 school year, welcoming 747 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 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% change
Big Rapids High School	714	747	4.6
Big Rapids Middle School	646	618	-4.3
Chippewa Hills Intermediate School	513	515	0.4
Chippewa Hills High School	476	459	-3.6
Morley Stanwood Elementary School	461	432	-6.3
Brookside Elementary School	417	342	-18
Riverview Elementary School	421	321	-23.8
Morley Stanwood High School	362	309	-14.6
Mecosta Elementary School	228	252	10.5
Morley Stanwood Middle School	226	234	3.5
Barryton Elementary School	221	205	-7.2
Crossroads Charter Academy (K-6)	160	146	-8.8
Crossroads Charter Academy (7-12)	150	144	-4
Big Rapids Virtual School	152	133	-12.5
Mecosta-Osceola Education Center	117	131	12
Mosaic School	97	91	-6.2