SC Minnesota News

There were seven Hawaiian Pacific Islander students enrolled in Steele County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 133.3% more than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Steele County welcomed 6,891 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hawaiian Pacific Islander students comprised 0.1% 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 Hawaiian Pacific Islander Students	% of Hawaiian Pacific Islander Students	Total School Enrollment
Wilson Elementary School	3	0.5%	560
Owatonna Middle School	2	0.2%	1,015
McKinley Elementary School	1	0.2%	483
Owatonna Senior High School	1	0.1%	1,494
Washington Elementary School	0	0%	484
Owatonna Alternative Learning Center 9-12	0	0%	90
NRHEG Elementary School	0	0%	358
Medford Secondary School	0	0%	399
Medford Elementary School	0	0%	491
Lincoln Elementary School	0	0%	609
CHOICE Technical Academy	0	0%	44
Blooming Prairie Intermediate School	0	0%	142
Blooming Prairie High School	0	0%	380
Blooming Prairie Elementary School	0	0%	342