Wadena County Districts: Which ethnicity was most represented in 2023-24 school year?

The largest number of students in Wadena County districts were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Of the 3,228 students attending Wadena County district schools, 89.8% were white. Multiracial students made up the second largest ethnic group among Wadena County districts’ students (4.2%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Wadena County districts, representing 90.6% of the student body.

Wadena-Deer Creek School District had the most diverse student body in the county, including white, multiracial, Hispanic, Black, American Indian, Asian, Other Indigenous Peoples and Hawaiian Pacific Islander.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased 0.2% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Wadena County.

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.