NC Minnesota News

There were 22 Black students enrolled in Wadena County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 4.4% 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, Black students comprised 0.7% of the student body to be the fourth least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 10 schools in the county, Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with eight.

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 Black Students	% of Black Students	Total School Enrollment
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade	3	1.8%	168
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High School	8	1.7%	480
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary School	5	1.1%	464
Sebeka Secondary School	2	0.8%	245
Verndale Secondary School	1	0.4%	247
Menahga Elementary School	2	0.4%	511
Menahga High School	1	0.2%	434
Verndale Elementary School	0	0%	262
Sebeka Elementary School	0	0%	237
Freshwater Education District Alternative Learning Center	0	0%	82