NC Minnesota News

There were 42 American Indian students enrolled in Wadena County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 20% more 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, American Indian students comprised 1.3% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 10 schools in the county, Wadena-Deer Creek 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
Sebeka Elementary School	8	3.4%	237
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary School	14	3%	464
Menahga High School	8	1.8%	434
Menahga Elementary School	7	1.4%	511
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade	2	1.2%	168
Verndale Secondary School	2	0.8%	247
Sebeka Secondary School	1	0.4%	245
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High School	0	0%	480
Verndale Elementary School	0	0%	262
Freshwater Education District Alternative Learning Center	0	0%	82