NC Minnesota News

There were 3,395 American Indian students enrolled in Beltrami County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 6.1% more than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Beltrami County welcomed 8,040 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 42.2% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 30 schools in the county, Red Lake Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 484.

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
Red Lake Secondary School	341	100%	341
Red Lake Middle School	278	100%	278
Red Lake Middle Level Alternative Learning Center	7	100%	7
Red Lake Alternative Learning	81	100%	81
Red Lake Elementary School	484	99.4%	487
Ponemah Elementary School	114	99.1%	115
Red Lake Early Childhood Center	110	97.4%	113
Endazhi-Nitaawiging	87	96.7%	90
Voyageurs Expeditionary School	47	66.2%	71
J.W. Smith Elementary School	165	64%	258
Trek North Middle School	61	56.5%	108
Kelliher Secondary School	87	54.7%	159
Aurora Waasakone Community of Learners Charter School	77	54.6%	141
TrekNorth High School	72	49.7%	145
Bemidji Senior Lumberjack Alternative Learning Center	29	43.3%	67
Kelliher Elementary School	70	41.4%	169
Paul Bunyan Center	36	40%	90
Voyageurs Expeditionary Middle School	16	38.1%	42
Gene Dillon Elementary School	210	30.9%	679
Lincoln Elementary School	88	27.5%	320
Bemidji Area Learning Center	14	25.9%	54
Bemidji Middle School	267	25.8%	1,035
Blackduck Secondary School	76	25.2%	302
Bemidji Senior High School	329	21.7%	1,516
Horace May Elementary School	63	20.5%	307
Schoolcraft Learning Community	39	19.9%	196
Blackduck Elementary School	81	18.5%	437
Northern Elementary School	44	15.4%	285
Solway Elementary School	22	15.1%	146
Bemidji Middle ALP	0	0%	1