WC Minnesota News

There were 1,972 Hispanic students enrolled in Kandiyohi County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.2% more 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, Hispanic students comprised 32.6% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 13 schools in the county, Willmar Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 478.

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 Hispanic Students	% of Hispanic Students	Total School Enrollment
Middle School Alternative Learning Center	17	60.7%	28
Willmar Area Learning Center	52	56.5%	92
Lakeland Elementary School	289	50%	578
Kennedy Elementary School	334	47.6%	702
Willmar Middle School	390	46.3%	842
Willmar Senior High School	478	39.2%	1,218
Roosevelt Elementary School	232	36.9%	629
DREAM Technical Academy	27	36.5%	74
New London Alternative School	2	15.4%	13
A.C.G.C. Elementary School	44	12.2%	361
Prairie Woods Elementary School	52	8.8%	590
New London-Spicer Middle School	31	6.7%	462
New London-Spicer Sr.	24	5.1%	467