Dakota Times

There were 9,164 Black students enrolled in Dakota County public schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.4% less than the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Data showed that Dakota County welcomed 70,596 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 13% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 107 schools in the county, Burnsville High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 561.

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
STEP Academy 6-12 - Burnsville	70	100%	70
Gateway STEM Academy Charter School	140	100%	140
STEP Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville	239	99.6%	240
STEAM Academy Charter School	51	92.7%	55
Gideon Pond Elementary School	157	44.6%	352
Burnsville Senior High Extended Day Program	1	33.3%	3
Burnsville Alternative High School	56	31.8%	176
Rahn Elementary School	113	31.1%	363
Joseph Nicollet Middle School	230	30.8%	748
Sky Oaks Elementary School	136	29.6%	459
Vista View Elementary School	96	29.1%	330
Pilot Knob STEM Magnet School	110	29.1%	378
Diamondhead Ready to Learn	9	29%	31
Oak Ridge Elementary School of Leadership, Environmental and Health Sciences	161	27.3%	590
Burnsville High School	561	26.7%	2,100
Apple Valley Senior High School	495	25.8%	1,919
William Byrne Elementary School	143	25.1%	569
Echo Park Elementary School of Leadership, Engineering and Technology	190	24.8%	765
Cedar Park Elementary School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math	174	24%	725
ABE Diploma Program	13	23.2%	56
Valley Middle School of STEM	233	22%	1,060
Rosemount Area Learning Center	41	21.7%	189
FIT Academy	50	20.1%	249
Edward Neill Elementary School	71	19.9%	357
Westview Elementary School	97	19.5%	498
Seven Hills Preparatory Academy, Bloomington Elementary	105	19.4%	542
Southview Elementary School	110	19.2%	573
Eastview Senior High School	416	18%	2,312
Black Hawk Middle School	161	17.9%	900
Parkview Elementary School	125	17.8%	701
Salem Hills Elementary School	55	17.7%	310
Lakeville Pathways Academy (Extension Services)	11	17.7%	62
North Trail Elementary School	108	17.7%	609
Hilltop Elementary School	100	16.3%	613
Moreland Art/Health Science Magnet	62	16.1%	385
Simley Alternative Program	4	16%	25
Glacier Hills Elementary School of Arts and Science	107	15.7%	681
FIT Academy High School	24	15.7%	153
917 DCALS North	12	15.6%	77
Academic Arts High School	16	15.5%	103
Friendly Hills Middle School	110	14.9%	740
Inver Grove Heights Middle School	109	13.8%	792
Scott Highlands Middle School	165	13.7%	1,207
Garlough Environmental Magnet	53	13.5%	394
Highland Elementary School	90	13.3%	678
Rosemount Elementary School	101	13.2%	766
Falcon Ridge Middle School	124	12.6%	987
Greenleaf Elementary School	92	12.1%	759
Northview Elementary School	46	12%	385
Hastings Alternative Center	4	11.8%	34
Two Rivers High School	192	11.7%	1,648
Diamond Path Elementary School of International Studies	77	11.4%	676
Simley Senior High School	119	11.3%	1,058
Heritage E-STEM Magnet School	84	11.1%	760
Huddleston Elementary School	52	10.5%	496
Orchard Lake Elementary School	43	10.5%	411
Rosemount Senior High School	247	10.4%	2,380
Deerwood Elementary School	54	10.3%	526
Mendota Elementary School	38	10.2%	372
South St. Paul Middle School	59	10%	589
Eagan Senior High School	216	9.8%	2,202
Levi P. Dodge Middle School	67	9.8%	687
Rosemount Middle School	115	9.7%	1,187
Shannon Park Elementary School	49	9.4%	523
917 DCALS Main	10	9.3%	108
Cherry View Elementary School	82	9.3%	885
Kaposia Education Center Elementary	58	9.1%	636
Discovery Charter Elementary School	16	9.1%	175
South St. Paul High School	76	8.8%	868
Pine Bend Elementary School	46	8.7%	527
Lake Marion Elementary School	68	8.6%	790
Akin Road Elementary School	44	8.5%	520
Lincoln Center Elementary	56	8.4%	665
East Lake Elementary School	69	8.3%	829
Kenwood Trail Middle School	62	7.9%	788
Lakeville North High School	143	7.7%	1,866
Lakeville South High School	144	7.6%	1,895
Red Pine Elementary School	55	7.6%	725
Atheneum Elementary School	6	7.5%	80
South St. Paul Community Learning Center	7	7.5%	94
Lakeview Elementary School	40	7.5%	532
McGuire Middle School	62	7.2%	861
Farmington Elementary School	37	6.8%	545
Kennedy Elementary School	42	6.7%	630
Meadowview Elementary School	41	6.6%	621
Eastview Elementary School	47	6.6%	711
Century Middle School	62	6.5%	959
Christa McAuliffe Elementary School	32	6.5%	489
GOA School of Logic	3	6.4%	47
Dakota Hills Middle School	72	6.1%	1,181
Oak Hills Elementary School	40	5.9%	680
School of Environmental Studies	23	5.9%	393
Thomas Lake Elementary School	34	5.6%	604
Woodland Elementary School	37	5.1%	720
Robert Boeckman Middle School	38	4.4%	867
Farmington High School	94	4.3%	2,196
Pinewood Community Elementary School	21	4.2%	501
Riverview Elementary School	23	3.9%	585
Somerset Elementary School	14	3.5%	402
Hastings High School	45	3.2%	1,390
Great Oaks Academy School of Grammar	12	3.1%	385
Hastings Middle School	34	2.9%	1,178
Randolph Elementary School	4	0.9%	461
Kennedy Elementary School	4	0.9%	455
Randolph Secondary School	1	0.2%	409
Pinecrest Elementary School	1	0.2%	439
Prairie Creek Community School	0	0%	179