St. Cloud Sun

The largest number of students in Stearns County districts were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Of the 24,978 students attending Stearns County district schools, 63.6% were white. Black students made up the second largest ethnic group among Stearns County districts' students (20.1%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Stearns County districts, representing 64.4% of the student body.

St. Cloud Public School District had the most diverse student body in the county, including Black, white, Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, American Indian, Hawaiian Pacific Islander and Other Indigenous Peoples.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased 0.4% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Stearns County.

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	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
St. Cloud Public School District	Black	40.3%	9,543
Sartell-St. Stephen School District	White	85%	4,046
ROCORI Public School District	White	82%	2,414
Albany Public School District	White	94%	1,799
Melrose Public School District	White	68.4%	1,266
Sauk Centre Public School District	White	83%	1,130
Holdingford Public School District	White	96.5%	1,077
Paynesville Area Schools	White	90.8%	920
Kimball Public School District	White	94%	748
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Public School District	White	89.2%	630
STRIDE Academy	Black	83.8%	588
Saint Cloud Math and Science Academy Charter School	Black	97.5%	325
Athlos Academy of Saint Cloud	Black	59.8%	256
Benton-Stearns Education District	White	77.3%	163
West Central Education District	White	71.2%	73