NC Minnesota News

There were 13 Asian students enrolled in Wadena County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 7.1% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Wadena County welcomed 3,130 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Asian students comprised 0.4% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 10 schools in the county, Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High School and Verndale Secondary School recorded the highest enrollment of Asian students in the 2023-24 school year, with four.

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 Asian Students	% of Asian Students	Total School Enrollment
Verndale Secondary School	4	1.6%	247
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High School	4	0.8%	480
Verndale Elementary School	2	0.8%	262
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade	1	0.6%	168
Sebeka Secondary School	1	0.4%	245
Menahga High School	1	0.2%	434
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary School	0	0%	464
Sebeka Elementary School	0	0%	237
Menahga Elementary School	0	0%	511
Freshwater Education District Alternative Learning Center	0	0%	82