SC Minnesota News

There were 43 American Indian students enrolled in Freeborn County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.4% more 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, American Indian students comprised 1.1% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in the county, Lakeview Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 13.

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 American Indian Students	% of American Indian Students	Total School Enrollment
Lakeview Elementary School	13	3.2%	412
Albert Lea Area Learning Center	3	2.4%	124
Southwest Middle School	5	1.1%	455
Sibley Elementary School	3	1.1%	273
Hawthorne Elementary School	4	1%	403
Glenville-Emmons Secondary School	1	1%	101
Albert Lea Senior High School	12	1%	1,229
Halverson Elementary School	2	0.5%	368
Glenville Emmons Elementary School	0	0%	123
Alden-Conger Secondary School	0	0%	222
Alden-Conger Elementary School	0	0%	235