St. Cloud Sun

There were 5,464 white students enrolled in Benton County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.4% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Benton County welcomed 6,570 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, white students comprised 83.2% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 10 schools in the county, Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 1,088.

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 White Students	% of White Students	Total School Enrollment
Foley Senior High School	587	97.4%	603
Foley Intermediate Elementary School	713	96%	743
Foley Elementary School	548	94.7%	579
Rice Elementary School	331	91.7%	361
Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School	896	84%	1,067
Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High School	1,088	82.6%	1,317
Mississippi Heights Elementary School	668	81.8%	817
ALC - Sauk Rapids	49	74.2%	66
Pleasantview Elementary School	535	74.1%	722
Lincoln Elementary School	49	16.6%	295