SC Minnesota News

There were 27 American Indian students enrolled in Waseca County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 8% more 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, American Indian students comprised 0.9% of the student body to be the fourth least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 10 schools in the county, Hartley Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with nine.

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
Hartley Elementary School	9	2.2%	418
TEAM Academy	2	1.9%	103
Waseca Area Learning Center	1	1.6%	61
Waseca Intermediate School	4	1.1%	356
NRHEG Secondary School	4	0.9%	434
Waseca Junior High School	2	0.8%	266
Waseca Senior High School	4	0.7%	579
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Elementary School	1	0.3%	324
Waseca Middle Level Alternative Learning Center	0	0%	3
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Sec	0	0%	339