SC Minnesota News

There were 356 Hispanic students enrolled in Waseca County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.4% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Waseca County welcomed 2,883 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 12.4% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 10 schools in the county, Waseca Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 71.

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 Hispanic Students	% of Hispanic Students	Total School Enrollment
TEAM Academy	42	40.8%	103
Waseca Middle Level Alternative Learning Center	1	33.3%	3
Waseca Area Learning Center	18	29.5%	61
Waseca Junior High School	53	19.9%	266
Hartley Elementary School	68	16.3%	418
Waseca Intermediate School	51	14.3%	356
Waseca Senior High School	71	12.3%	579
NRHEG Secondary School	27	6.2%	434
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Elementary School	15	4.6%	324
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Sec	10	3%	339