LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – This year, Lansing Public Schools set a milestone. But it’s not the type of achievement that districts will brag about.

For the first time, the district’s enrollment dropped below 10,000, hitting 9,951 according to data recently released by the state of Michigan for 2024-25. The district has 27 school buildings.

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In 2000, the district had 17,879 students and 43 buildings.

Lansing is part of a state-wide trend that started back in the early 1970s as fewer and fewer students are attending Michigan’s public schools. But while there have been fewer students, the overall funding (local, state and federal) has increased.

From 2001 to 2024, when adjusted for inflation, per-pupil spending on K-12 education has increased 35% while student enrollment has dropped 17%.

Per-pupil spending has increased from $11,171 in 2001 to $15,097 in 2024. Michigan’s public school enrollment has dropped from 1.72 million to 1.43 million over that same span.