WC Minnesota News

There were 974 American Indian students enrolled in Becker 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 Becker County welcomed 4,580 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 21.3% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 12 schools in the county, Ogema Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 230.

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
Pine Point Elementary School	46	97.9%	47
Ogema Elementary School	230	83.9%	274
Detroit Lakes Area Learning Center	18	32.1%	56
Detroit Lakes Middle School	144	23.4%	615
Roosevelt Elementary School	131	22.5%	583
Frazee Elementary School	67	16.2%	414
Detroit Lakes Senior High School	138	16.2%	851
Lincoln Early Childhood Education Center	12	16%	75
Rossman Elementary School	72	12.2%	592
Lake Park Audubon Elementary School	40	11.9%	336
Frazee Secondary School	46	11.9%	388
Lake Park Audubon Secondary School	30	8.6%	349