Sturgis-Coldwater News

Sturgis Public Schools had the highest enrollment among St. Joseph County districts, welcoming 2,773 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 50.5% of them were girls, and 49.5% were boys.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 57% of the Sturgis Public Schools total enrollment.

Among the 10 districts in St. Joseph County, Three Rivers Community Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 2,154 students, while Constantine Public School District welcomed 1,247 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Sturgis Public Schools roughly covers schools within St. Joseph County, with its main office in Sturgis.

In the previous school year, Sturgis Public Schools also had the highest number of students among St. Joseph County schools.

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.

District	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Sturgis Public Schools	Sturgis	2,773
Three Rivers Community Schools	Three Rivers	2,154
Constantine Public School District	Constantine	1,247
Centreville Public Schools	Centreville	889
White Pigeon Community Schools	White Pigeon	729
Colon Community School District	Colon	529
Burr Oak Community School District	Burr Oak	503
Mendon Community School District	Mendon	464
St. Joseph County ISD	Centreville	362
Nottawa Community School	Sturgis	189