NW Minnesota News

There was one Other Indigenous Peoples students enrolled in Polk County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 66.7% less 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, Other Indigenous Peoples students comprised less than 0% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

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 Other Indigenous Peoples Students	% of Other Indigenous Peoples Students	Total School Enrollment
Fisher Secondary School	1	1%	100
Central Middle School	0	0%	438
Climax Elementary School	0	0%	79
Climax Secondary School	0	0%	107
Crookston Secondary School	0	0%	616
East Grand Forks Senior High School	0	0%	588
Fertile-Beltrami Elementary School	0	0%	250
Fertile-Beltrami Secondary School	0	0%	242
Fisher Elementary School	0	0%	133
Fosston Secondary School	0	0%	274
Highland Elementary School	0	0%	392
Magelssen Elementary School	0	0%	344
New Heights Elementary School	0	0%	490
South Point Elementary School	0	0%	426
Washington Elementary School	0	0%	117
Win-E-Mac Elementary School	0	0%	230
Win-E-Mac Secondary School	0	0%	214