St. Cloud Sun

Elk River Public School District had the highest enrollment among Sherburne County districts, welcoming 14,352 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Of all the students enrolled that year, 51.5% of them were male, and 48.5% were female.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 79.3% of Elk River Public School District's total enrollment.

Among the five districts in Sherburne County, Big Lake Public School District ranked second in enrollment numbers with 3,157 students, while Becker Public School District welcomed 2,847 students to be ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Elk River Public School District generally encompasses schools within Sherburne County with its main office in Elk River.

In the previous school year, Elk River Public School District also had the highest number of students among Sherburne County districts.

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.

District	City (main office)	Total Enrollment
Elk River Public School District	Elk River	14,352
Big Lake Public School District	Big Lake	3,157
Becker Public School District	Becker	2,847
Spectrum High School	Elk River	892
Three Rivers Montessori School	Elk River	99