SW Minnesota Today

There were 1,141 white students enrolled in Jackson County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.3% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Jackson County welcomed 1,394 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, white students comprised 81.9% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the six schools in the county, Riverside Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 304.

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
Jackson County Central Middle School	200	84.8%	236
Jackson County Central Senior High School	280	84.6%	331
Riverside Elementary School	304	84%	362
Pleasantview Elementary School	142	81.1%	175
Heron Lake-Okabena Elementary School	103	78%	132
Heron Lake-Okabena Secondary School	112	70.9%	158