SW Minnesota Today

There were 27 Black students enrolled in Martin County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 12.9% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Martin County welcomed 3,051 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 0.9% of the student body to be the fourth most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 12 schools in the county, Fairmont Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 14.

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 Black Students	% of Black Students	Total School Enrollment
Southern Plains Area Learning Center	2	3.4%	59
Fairmont Elementary School	14	1.4%	974
Martin County West Junior High School	1	1.1%	88
Truman Secondary School	1	1%	100
Martin County West Senior High School	2	1%	208
Fairmont Junior-Senior High School	6	0.7%	844
Trimont Elementary School	1	0.5%	191
Truman Elementary School	0	0%	141
Sherburn Elementary School	0	0%	143
Granada Huntley East Chain Middle School	0	0%	85
Granada Huntley East Chain High School	0	0%	93
Granada Huntley East Chain Elementary School	0	0%	125