St. Cloud Sun

There were 1,030 Black students enrolled in Sherburne County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 11.8% more than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Sherburne County welcomed 15,432 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 6.7% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 28 schools in the county, Talahi Community Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 399.

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
Talahi Community Elementary School	399	56.2%	710
Salk Middle School	96	14.2%	677
Ivan Sand Community High School	11	10.6%	104
Lincoln Elementary School	47	8.6%	548
Twin Lakes Elementary School	50	7%	716
Big Lake Senior High School	59	6.9%	850
Big Lake Middle School	42	6.5%	645
Parker Elementary School	34	6.5%	526
Becker Alternative Learning Program	2	6.1%	33
Independence Elementary School	38	5.5%	694
Liberty Elementary School	40	5.3%	760
Elk River Senior High School	84	5.2%	1,602
VandenBerge Middle School	26	5%	521
Clearview Elementary School	17	4.2%	403
Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6	5	4.1%	121
Three Rivers Montessori School	4	4%	99
Meadowvale Elementary School	14	2.6%	548
Spectrum High School	10	2.1%	484
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8	6	2.1%	287
Becker Middle School	7	1.1%	662
Becker Intermediate Elementary School	7	1.1%	643
Zimmerman High School	7	1%	718
Becker Senior High School	8	0.9%	853
Becker Primary School	6	0.9%	656
Zimmerman Elementary School	4	0.8%	528
Zimmerman Middle School	4	0.8%	506
Westwood Elementary School	3	0.6%	537
Ivan Sand Middle School Alternative Learning Center	0	0%	1