Michigan Virtual Charter Academy welcomed most students in 2024-25 school year

Michigan Virtual Charter Academy had the largest enrollment among Oakland County schools, welcoming 3,202 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, 51.6% of them were girls, and 48.4% were boys.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 50.1% of the Michigan Virtual Charter Academy total enrollment.

Among the 326 schools in Oakland County, Novi High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 2,141 students, while Lighthouse Connections Academy welcomed 2,056 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Michigan Virtual Charter Academy is part of Michigan Virtual Charter Academy, which roughly covers schools within Oakland County, with its main office in Hazel Park.

In the previous school year, Michigan Virtual Charter Academy also had the largest number of students among Oakland 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.