St. Cloud Sun

There were 359 American Indian students enrolled in Sherburne County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.8% less 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, American Indian students comprised 2.3% of the student body to be the fourth least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 28 schools in the county, Elk River Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 51.

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
Ivan Sand Community High School	10	9.6%	104
VandenBerge Middle School	20	3.8%	521
Salk Middle School	26	3.8%	677
Zimmerman Middle School	17	3.4%	506
Big Lake Senior High School	28	3.3%	850
Meadowvale Elementary School	18	3.3%	548
Westwood Elementary School	17	3.2%	537
Elk River Senior High School	51	3.2%	1,602
Twin Lakes Elementary School	21	2.9%	716
Lincoln Elementary School	16	2.9%	548
Big Lake Middle School	18	2.8%	645
Talahi Community Elementary School	18	2.5%	710
Zimmerman High School	17	2.4%	718
Parker Elementary School	12	2.3%	526
Independence Elementary School	14	2%	694
Liberty Elementary School	11	1.5%	760
Becker Primary School	10	1.5%	656
Becker Intermediate Elementary School	8	1.2%	643
Zimmerman Elementary School	6	1.1%	528
Becker Senior High School	8	0.9%	853
Becker Middle School	6	0.9%	662
Spectrum High School	4	0.8%	484
Clearview Elementary School	3	0.7%	403
Becker Alternative Learning Program	0	0%	33
Ivan Sand Middle School Alternative Learning Center	0	0%	1
Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6	0	0%	121
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8	0	0%	287
Three Rivers Montessori School	0	0%	99