SC Minnesota News

There were 60 American Indian students enrolled in Nicollet County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 50% more than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Nicollet County welcomed 4,391 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 1.4% of the student body to be the fourth least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 11 schools in the county, Monroe Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 14.

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
Rock Bend High School Alternative Learning Center	1	4.4%	23
Monroe Elementary School	14	3.5%	405
St. Peter Middle School	9	1.5%	596
South Elementary School	4	1.5%	271
Dakota Meadows Middle School	13	1.5%	886
North Elementary School	6	1.4%	423
St. Peter High School	9	1.3%	711
Nicollet Elementary School	1	0.6%	163
Hoover Elementary School	3	0.6%	493
Nicollet High School	0	0%	170
Bridges Community Elementary School	0	0%	250