Sturgis-Coldwater News

There were 6,554 students enrolled in Branch County schools in the 2024-25 school year, 0.8% more than the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Boys made up 52.3% of the county student body, while the other 47.7% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 82.8% of the student body, the highest percentage in Branch County schools, followed by 11.5% Hispanic, 3.1% multiracial, 1.9% African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% American Indian and less than 0.1% Hawaiian students.

Coldwater High School had the highest enrollment among Branch County's 19 schools in the 2024-25 school year, welcoming 981 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
Coldwater High School	913	981	7.4%
Legg Middle School	626	616	-1.6%
Bronson Junior-Senior High School	523	530	1.3%
Pansophia Academy	472	514	8.9%
Larsen Elementary School	446	463	3.8%
Jennings Elementary School	427	408	-4.4%
Jefferson Elementary School	366	378	3.3%
Lakeland Elementary School	393	375	-4.6%
Union City Elementary School	349	359	2.9%
Quincy High School	367	346	-5.7%
Quincy Middle School	331	345	4.2%
Union City High School	320	305	-4.7%
Waldron Learning Center	294	256	-12.9%
Union City Middle School	255	245	-3.9%
Ryan Elementary School	213	217	1.9%
Anderson Elementary School	210	216	2.9%