Wayne County's districts student body comprised mostly of African American students in 2022-23 school year

MI Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael F. Rice 2023 | Michigan Department of Education

By Downriver Today

Feb 25, 2024

Of the many ethnicities represented in Wayne County districts, the most prevalent ethnic group among students enrolled in Wayne County districts in 2022-23 were African American, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of the 258,751 students attending Wayne County district schools, 41.9% were African American. White students were the second largest ethnic group among Wayne County's districts (41.7%).

In the previous school year, white students were the most common group in Wayne County, representing 42.1% of the student body.

South Canton Scholars Charter Academy had the most even distribution of races among the county districts, including 30.8% white students, 29.2% African American students, 25.9% Asian students, 10.2% multiracial students, 3.6% Hispanic students, 0.2% American Indian students, and 0.1% Hawaiian students.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county dropped 0.5% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Wayne County.

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

Ethnicities in Wayne County in 2022-23 School Year

Students' Most Prevalent Ethnicity Percentage in Wayne County Districts in 2022-23 School Year

District	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Academy for Business and Technology	African American	82.6%	495
Achieve Charter Academy	Asian	53.4%	779
Advanced Technology Academy	African American	73.7%	1,215
Allen Park Public Schools	White	77.3%	3,684
American International Academy	African American	95.9%	566
American Montessori Academy	African American	60.4%	477
Barack Obama Leadership Academy	African American	99.7%	333
Branch Line School	White	76%	150
Bridge Academy	White	86.7%	1,328
Caniff Liberty Academy	White	51.7%	501
Canton Charter Academy	Asian	44.5%	703
Canton Preparatory High School	African American	36.9%	624
Capstone Academy Charter School (SDA)	African American	88.1%	135
Cesar Chavez Academy	Hispanic	92.9%	2,225
Chandler Park Academy	African American	99.9%	1,976
Clara B. Ford Academy (SDA)	White	54.5%	44
Clarenceville School District	White	43.9%	1,774
Commonwealth Community Development Academy	African American	95.6%	159
Cornerstone Jefferson-Douglass Academy	African American	98.5%	530
Covenant House Academy Detroit	African American	81.7%	584
Creative Montessori Academy	White	40.7%	796
Crestwood School District	White	92.4%	3,767
David Ellis Academy	African American	100%	200
David Ellis Academy West	African American	99.1%	663
Dearborn City School District	White	93.4%	20,145
Dearborn Heights School District #7	White	58.6%	2,539
Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences	African American	99.6%	1,013
Detroit Achievement Academy	African American	74.9%	672
Detroit Community Schools	African American	99.5%	568
Detroit Edison Public School Academy	African American	97%	1,237
Detroit Enterprise Academy	African American	92.2%	746
Detroit Innovation Academy	African American	99.5%	379
Detroit Leadership Academy	African American	96.6%	742
Detroit Merit Charter Academy	African American	92.3%	703
Detroit Premier Academy	African American	87.3%	715
Detroit Public Safety Academy	African American	97.5%	159
Detroit Public Schools Community District	African American	81.9%	48,754
Detroit Service Learning Academy	African American	99.8%	1,408
Distinctive College Prep.	African American	97.6%	841
Dove Academy of Detroit	African American	99.6%	477
Ecorse Public Schools	African American	79.8%	1,119
Escuela Avancemos	Hispanic	94.4%	393
Explore Academy-Livonia	African American	65.2%	23
Flagship Charter Academy	African American	91.4%	643
Flat Rock Community Schools	White	82.7%	1,772
Fostering Leadership Academy	African American	78%	59
Frontier International Academy	White	53.9%	921
Garden City Public Schools	White	73%	3,279
George Crockett Academy	African American	99.4%	355
George Washington Carver Academy	African American	100%	370
Gibraltar School District	White	79%	3,630
Global Heights Academy	African American	86.5%	252
Grand River Academy	African American	80%	736
Grosse Ile Township Schools	White	87.3%	1,594
Grosse Pointe Public Schools	White	74.2%	6,537
Hamtramck Academy	Asian	66.4%	548
Hanley International Academy	Asian	80.8%	660
Henry Ford Academy	African American	49.5%	497
Highland Park Public School Academy System	African American	93.9%	280
Hope Academy	African American	99%	414
Hope of Detroit Academy	Hispanic	88.3%	1,010
Huron School District	White	85.6%	2,541
Inkster Preparatory Academy	African American	86.1%	266
Ivywood Classical Academy	White	88.5%	574
Jalen Rose Leadership Academy	African American	99.8%	411
Joy Preparatory Academy	African American	98.9%	179
KIPP Detroit Imani Academy	African American	100%	34
Keystone Academy	White	66.1%	629
Legacy Charter Academy	African American	93.8%	739
Livonia Public Schools School District	White	73.7%	13,304
MacDowell Preparatory Academy	African American	98.4%	368
Madison-Carver Academy	African American	97.4%	421
Martin Luther King Jr. Education Center Academy	African American	98.9%	380
Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts	African American	97.5%	285
Melvindale-North Allen Park Schools	White	68.8%	2,956
Metro Charter Academy	African American	82.5%	559
Michigan Educational Choice Center	African American	99.6%	255
New Paradigm College Prep	Hispanic	55.6%	196
New Paradigm Glazer-Loving Academy	African American	96.3%	245
New School High	White	88.2%	51
Northville Public Schools	White	66.1%	7,144
Oakland International Academy	White	78.3%	865
Old Redford Academy	African American	98.3%	987
Pathways Academy	African American	95.9%	122
Pembroke Academy	African American	88.8%	348
Plymouth Educational Center Charter School	African American	98.9%	435
Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy	Asian	51.6%	793
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools	White	64%	16,311
Quest Charter Academy	African American	45.4%	762
Redford Union Schools District No. 1	African American	68.6%	2,075
Regent Park Scholars Charter Academy	African American	93.3%	732
River Heights Academy	White	57%	121
Riverside Academy	White	86.4%	777
Riverview Community School District	White	78.6%	2,831
Romulus Community Schools	African American	68.7%	2,281
Rutherford Winans Academy	African American	98.7%	154
SER YouthBuild Learning Academy	African American	91.4%	175
School District of the City of Hamtramck	White	57.5%	3,062
School District of the City of Lincoln Park	Hispanic	44.9%	4,906
School District of the City of River Rouge	African American	78.4%	2,464
School District of the City of Wyandotte	White	74.3%	4,422
Sigma Academy for Leadership and Early Middle College	African American	95.7%	93
South Canton Scholars Charter Academy	White	30.8%	815
South Redford School District	African American	78.1%	2,812
Southgate Community School District	White	67.3%	3,371
Star International Academy	White	90.6%	1,928
Summit Academy North	African American	57.9%	1,569
Taylor Exemplar Academy	African American	52.4%	695
Taylor Preparatory High School	African American	50.6%	464
Taylor School District	White	48.6%	5,424
The Dearborn Academy	White	53.2%	515
The James and Grace Lee Boggs School	African American	61%	154
The School District of the City of Harper Woods	African American	88.7%	2,581
Tipton Academy	African American	48.5%	489
Trenton Public Schools	White	84.8%	2,501
Trillium Academy	White	42.6%	681
Universal Academy	White	93.3%	700
Universal Learning Academy	White	88.5%	730
University Preparatory Academy (PSAD)	African American	98.1%	1,808
University Preparatory Art & Design	African American	98.2%	1,237
University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD)	African American	97.9%	1,424
University Yes Academy	African American	98.4%	365
Van Buren Public Schools	White	45.1%	4,319
Vista Meadows Academy	African American	94.2%	103
Voyageur Academy	African American	75.1%	1,226
W-A-Y Academy	Hispanic	49.2%	195
WAY Michigan	White	57%	135
Warrendale Charter Academy	African American	91%	709
Washington-Parks Academy	African American	97.4%	580
Wayne RESA	African American	56.2%	7,509
Wayne-Westland Community School District	White	49.4%	9,790
West Village Academy	African American	89.7%	291
Westfield Charter Academy	African American	88.4%	1,463
Weston Preparatory Academy	African American	99.2%	248
Westwood Community School District	African American	73.7%	1,491
Woodhaven-Brownstown School District	White	62.7%	5,603