NW Minnesota News

There were 551 Hispanic students enrolled in Polk County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 4.6% more than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Polk County welcomed 5,040 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 10.9% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 17 schools in the county, Crookston Secondary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 111.

According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Minnesota's fourth graders scored 241 in math, just above the national average of 237. Their reading score of 216 was on par with the U.S. average, but shows a slight decline over recent years. Eighth graders scored 284 in math and 264 in reading, both above the national averages. 

However, despite these results, both grade levels remain below pre-pandemic levels in math and reading.

As of 2024, according to Public School Review, the student-to-teacher ratio in Minnesota's public schools stands at 1:16, slightly worse than the national average of 1:15. This is part of a larger framework within Minnesota's educational system, which is the 10th largest in the United States, accommodating over 869,000 students across 2,709 public schools.

School Name	No. of Hispanic Students	% of Hispanic Students	Total School Enrollment
Highland Elementary School	98	25%	392
Climax Secondary School	25	23.4%	107
Climax Elementary School	18	22.8%	79
Washington Elementary School	24	20.5%	117
Fisher Elementary School	25	18.8%	133
Crookston Secondary School	111	18%	616
South Point Elementary School	50	11.7%	426
Fisher Secondary School	11	11%	100
Central Middle School	43	9.8%	438
New Heights Elementary School	48	9.8%	490
East Grand Forks Senior High School	52	8.8%	588
Win-E-Mac Elementary School	9	3.9%	230
Win-E-Mac Secondary School	8	3.7%	214
Fosston Secondary School	9	3.3%	274
Fertile-Beltrami Secondary School	7	2.9%	242
Magelssen Elementary School	10	2.9%	344
Fertile-Beltrami Elementary School	3	1.2%	250