NW Minnesota News

There were 3,802 white students enrolled in Polk County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.2% 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, white students comprised 75.4% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 17 schools in the county, East Grand Forks Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 456.

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 White Students	% of White Students	Total School Enrollment
Fertile-Beltrami Elementary School	233	93.2%	250
Fertile-Beltrami Secondary School	224	92.6%	242
Win-E-Mac Secondary School	198	92.5%	214
Win-E-Mac Elementary School	209	90.9%	230
Magelssen Elementary School	282	82%	344
Fosston Secondary School	216	78.8%	274
East Grand Forks Senior High School	456	77.6%	588
Fisher Secondary School	77	77%	100
Central Middle School	335	76.5%	438
Fisher Elementary School	99	74.4%	133
South Point Elementary School	311	73%	426
Washington Elementary School	83	70.9%	117
New Heights Elementary School	343	70%	490
Climax Elementary School	55	69.6%	79
Climax Secondary School	74	69.2%	107
Crookston Secondary School	391	63.5%	616
Highland Elementary School	216	55.1%	392