SC Minnesota News

There were 96 Black students enrolled in Freeborn County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 7.7% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Freeborn County welcomed 3,945 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 2.4% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in the county, Albert Lea Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 27.

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 Black Students	% of Black Students	Total School Enrollment
Hawthorne Elementary School	24	6%	403
Southwest Middle School	15	3.3%	455
Sibley Elementary School	8	2.9%	273
Halverson Elementary School	9	2.5%	368
Lakeview Elementary School	9	2.2%	412
Albert Lea Senior High School	27	2.2%	1,229
Glenville-Emmons Secondary School	2	2%	101
Alden-Conger Elementary School	2	0.9%	235
Glenville Emmons Elementary School	0	0%	123
Alden-Conger Secondary School	0	0%	222
Albert Lea Area Learning Center	0	0%	124