4 Other Indigenous Peoples students enrolled in Rice County schools in 2023-24 school year

Willie Jett Commissioner of Education Minnesota Department of Education | Office of Gov. Tim Walz

By SE Twin Cities

Jun 1, 2025

There were four Other Indigenous Peoples students enrolled in Rice County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 75% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Rice County welcomed 7,889 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Other Indigenous Peoples students comprised less than 0.1% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the 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.

Ethnicities in Rice County County in 2023-24 School Year

Enrollment Demographics in Rice County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School Name	No. of Other Indigenous Peoples Students	% of Other Indigenous Peoples Students	Total School Enrollment
Cannon River STEM School	3	1.3%	234
Roosevelt Elementary School	1	0.2%	418
Arcadia Charter School	0	0%	100
Bridgewater Elementary School	0	0%	563
Discovery Public School of Faribault	0	0%	48
Faribault Area Learning Center	0	0%	99
Faribault Middle School	0	0%	636
Faribault Senior High School	0	0%	961
Greenvale Park Elementary School	0	0%	482
Jefferson Elementary School	0	0%	395
Lincoln Elementary School	0	0%	423
Lonsdale Pre K-6	0	0%	305
Morristown Elementary School	0	0%	118
Nerstrand Charter School	0	0%	98
Northfield Area Learning Center	0	0%	131
Northfield Community Education Center	0	0%	92
Northfield Middle School	0	0%	850
Northfield Senior High School	0	0%	1,295
Spring Creek Elementary School	0	0%	462
Surad Academy	0	0%	66
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Jr.	0	0%	113