WC Minnesota News

There were 617 Black students enrolled in Kandiyohi County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 3.9% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Kandiyohi County welcomed 6,056 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 10.2% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 13 schools in the county, Willmar Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 153.

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
Roosevelt Elementary School	138	21.9%	629
Lakeland Elementary School	87	15.1%	578
Kennedy Elementary School	105	15%	702
Willmar Middle School	117	13.9%	842
Willmar Senior High School	153	12.6%	1,218
Willmar Area Learning Center	8	8.7%	92
New London Alternative School	1	7.7%	13
Middle School Alternative Learning Center	2	7.1%	28
New London-Spicer Sr.	4	0.9%	467
Prairie Woods Elementary School	1	0.2%	590
New London-Spicer Middle School	1	0.2%	462
DREAM Technical Academy	0	0%	74
A.C.G.C. Elementary School	0	0%	361