Declining student enrollment in Michigan public schools is a problem that goes beyond urban districts.

Nearly 61 percent of the state's 551 traditional public school districts faced some degree of declining enrollment between the 1995 and 2009 fiscal years. That's according to a recent report
from the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan.

Data provided by the Senate Fiscal Agency indicates the overall public school enrollment dip has since continued.

Rural districts in Michigan's Thumb, Upper Peninsula and other areas are among those that could have fewer students than last year when classes resume in most districts after Labor Day.

The decline in students has severe financial consequences for schools. Much of Michigan's education funding is based on how many students are enrolled in a district.