Public education in Minnesota
| K-12 education in Minnesota | |
 | |
| Education facts | |
| State superintendent: Willie Jett | |
| Number of students: 821,260 | |
| Number of teachers: 48,805 | |
| Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:16.8 | |
| Number of school districts: 331 | |
| Number of schools: 2,014 | |
| Graduation rate: 84% | |
| Per-pupil spending: $13,603 | |
| See also | |
| Minnesota Department of Education • List of school districts in Minnesota • Minnesota • School boards portal | |
 | |
Public education in the United States Public education in Minnesota Glossary of education terms | |
| Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015. | |
The Minnesota public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Minnesota had 821,260 students enrolled in a total of 2,014 schools in 331 school districts. There were 48,805 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Minnesota spent on average $13,603 per pupil.[1] The state's graduation rate was 84 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.[2]
General information
- See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states
The following chart shows how Minnesota compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.
| Public education in Minnesota | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Schools | Districts | Students | Teachers | Teacher to pupil ratio | Per pupil spending* | |
| Minnesota | 2,014 | 331 | 821,260 | 48,805 | 1:16.8 | $13,603 | |
| United States | 90,323 | 13,194 | 47,755,383 | 2,783,705 | 1:16 | $13,494 | |
| *Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States | |||||||
Academic performance
The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
| Education terms |
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| For more information on education policy terms, see this article. |
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NAEP scores
- See also: NAEP scores by state
The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), Minnesota's fourth and eighth graders earned the highest scores across the board.[3]
| Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8 | |
| Minnesota | 59% | 47% | 41% | 41% |
| North Dakota | 48% | 41% | 34% | 34% |
| South Dakota | 40% | 38% | 32% | 36% |
| Wisconsin | 47% | 40% | 35% | 36% |
| United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables" | ||||
Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Minnesota and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[3][4][5]
In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[6]
Minnesota schools reported a graduation rate of 79.8 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, lowest among its neighboring states.
In Minnesota, more students took the ACT than the SAT in 2013, earning an average ACT score of 23.
| Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Graduation rate, 2013 | Average ACT composite, 2013 | Average SAT composite, 2013 | ||||
| Percent | Quintile ranking** | Score | Participation rate | Score | Participation rate | ||
| Minnesota | 79.8% | Fourth | 23 | 74% | 1780 | 6% | |
| North Dakota | 87.5% | First | 20.5 | 98% | 1799 | 2% | |
| South Dakota | 82.7% | Third | 21.9 | 78% | 1760 | 3% | |
| Wisconsin | 88% | First | 22.1 | 71% | 1771 | 4% | |
| United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50% | ||
| **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013" | |||||||
Dropout rate
- See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states
The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Minnesota was lower than the national average at 1.8 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 1.9 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[7]
Educational choice options
- See also: School choice in Minnesota
As of June 2015, school choice options in Minnesota included charter schools, school choice tax credits, an inter-district open enrollment policy and online learning programs. In addition, about 9.57 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 1.80 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.
Developments
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[8]
In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[9]
The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.
Minnesota is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.
Education funding and expenditures
- See also: Minnesota state budget and finances
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers
According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[10][11]
Minnesota spent approximately 29.2 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state's school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. Minnesota spent a greater percentage of its total budget on public education than any of its neighboring states.
| Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percentage of budget | Per pupil spending | Revenue sources | ||||
| Percent federal funds | Percent state funds | Percent local funds | |||||
| Minnesota | 29.2% | $11,089 | 6.1% | 63.5% | 30.5% | ||
| North Dakota | 15% | $11,980 | 10.7% | 50.3% | 38.9% | ||
| South Dakota | 14.1% | $8,470 | 14.8% | 31% | 54.1% | ||
| Wisconsin | 16.2% | $11,071 | 7.7% | 44.8% | 47.5% | ||
| United States | 19.8% | $10,700 | 9.1% | 45.6% | 45.3% | ||
| Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8). | |||||||
Revenue breakdowns
- See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.
According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[11]
In Minnesota, the primary source of school system revenue was state funding, at $6.8 billion. Minnesota and Wisconsin reported nearly the same dollar amount of total revenue during fiscal year 2013. However, Minnesota received approximately $2 billion more from state sources than Wisconsin.
| Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Total revenue |
| Minnesota | $648,189 | $6,792,258 | $3,264,242 | $10,704,689 |
| North Dakota | $145,905 | $685,348 | $530,337 | $1,361,590 |
| South Dakota | $194,731 | $408,009 | $711,591 | $1,314,331 |
| Wisconsin | $827,432 | $4,839,617 | $5,134,855 | $10,801,904 |
| United States | $54,367,305 | $272,916,892 | $270,645,402 | $597,929,599 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1) | ||||
Expenditure breakdowns
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[12]
Public education expenditures in Minnesota totaled approximately $10.9 billion in fiscal year 2012. Minnesota reported greater total expenditures than any of its neighboring states. However, Wisconsin reported more general expenditures than Minnesota.
| Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | General expenditures | Capital outlay | Other | Total expenditures |
| Minnesota | $9,053,021 | $1,069,044 | $815,947 | $10,938,012 |
| North Dakota | $1,098,090 | $160,058 | $22,521 | $1,280,669 |
| South Dakota | $1,100,100 | $172,739 | $30,036 | $1,302,875 |
| Wisconsin | $9,704,932 | $450,303 | $453,800 | $10,609,035 |
| United States | $527,096,473 | $48,773,386 | $25,897,123 | $601,766,981 |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5) | ||||
Personnel salaries
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Minnesota, the average salary increased by 3.4 percent.[14]
| Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | Percent difference | |
| Minnesota | $54,393 | $55,967 | $55,874 | $56,268 | 3.4% |
| North Dakota | $40,810 | $45,862 | $46,825 | $47,344 | 16% |
| South Dakota | $39,728 | $41,456 | $39,450 | $39,580 | -0.4% |
| Wisconsin | $56,239 | $54,721 | $54,687 | $55,171 | -1.9% |
| United States | $57,133 | $58,925 | $56,340 | $56,383 | -1.3% |
| **"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state." | |||||
Organizations
State agencies
The vision statement of the Minnesota Department of Education reads:[15]
| “ | The Minnesota Department of Education provides an excellent education for Minnesota students by implementing Governor Mark Dayton’s 7-Point Plan for Better Schools for a Better Minnesota. We strive for excellence, equity and opportunity by focusing on closing the achievement gap, supporting high-quality teaching, using innovative strategies to improve educational outcomes, and ensuring all students graduate from high school well-prepared for college, career and life.[16] | ” |
The Commissioner of Education serves as the head of the Department of Education. The Commissioner of Education is appointed by the Governor. The term of office expires either when the Governor's term expires or the Governor leaves office. Brenda Cassellius was appointed as the Minnesota Commissioner of Education in 2010.[17][18]
Unions
In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Minnesota ranked 14th overall for union power and influence, or "strong," which was in the second of five tiers.[19]
The main union related to the Minnesota school system is Education Minnesota, an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). For the 2003 tax period the union had: $24.6 million in total revenue, $24.1 million in total expenses and $26.5 million in total assets.[20]
List of local Minnesota school unions:[21]
- Education Minnesota
- AFT Minneapolis Local 59
- St. Paul Federation of Teachers
- Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers
- Duluth Federation Of Teachers
- Education Minnesota Lakeville
- Mounds View Education Association
Government sector lobbying
- See also: Minnesota government sector lobbying
The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Minnesota School Boards Association.
Transparency
Minnesota launched a spending transparency database in March 2009.[22][23] The website, created by Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), "offers on-line, round-the-clock access to data on state payments for schools, local governments, contractors and other vendors. With just a few clicks, citizens can access detailed information on most state spending." According to state officials, the data is supplied by the state's accounting system and updated nightly.[22]
Studies and reports
Quality Counts 2014
- See also: Education Week survey
Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:
- Chance for success
- K-12 achievement
- Standards, assessments and accountability
- The teaching profession
- School finance
- Transitions and alignment
Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.
Minnesota received a score of 87.3, or a B+ average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. Aside from the "chance for success" category, the state's highest score was in "K-12 achievement" at 76.7, or a C+ average. The lowest score was in "the teaching profession" at 67.5, or a D+ average. Minnesota had the fifth highest score in the "chance for success" category in the country. The chart below displays the scores of Minnesota and its surrounding states.[24]
Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.
| Public education report cards, 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Chance for success | K-12 achievement | Standards, assessments and accountability | The teaching profession | School finance | Transitions and alignment |
| Minnesota | 87.3 (B+) | 76.7 (C+) | 71.2 (C-) | 67.5 (D+) | 74.6 (C) | 71.4 (C-) |
| North Dakota | 86.9 (B+) | 68.2 (D+) | 85.4 (B) | 66.6 (D+) | 76.8 (C+) | 78.6 (C+) |
| South Dakota | 79.6 (B-) | 63.2 (D) | 73.0 (C) | 60.8 (D-) | 68.2 (D+) | 64.3 (D) |
| Wisconsin | 82.4 (B-) | 72.1 (C-) | 75.2 (C) | 79.1 (C+) | 85.6 (B) | 85.7 (B) |
| United States | 77.3 (C+) | 70.2 (C-) | 85.3 (B) | 72.5 (C) | 75.5 (C) | 81.1 (B-) |
| Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here. | ||||||
State Budget Solutions education study
State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.
School districts
- See also: School board elections portal
District types
Minnesota contains several types of school districts. Almost all are traditional independent districts limited to a single community, although the state also contains several specialized districts, such as intermediate, integration, education, telecommunication and cooperative districts.[25]
School board composition
Minnesota school board members are elected by residents of the school district. Minnesota school board elections typically follow one of these two methods, or a mixture thereof:
- At-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, regardless of geographic location.
- District: Only voters residing in a specific geographic area within the school district may vote on certain candidates, who must also reside in that specific geographic area.
School boards consist of six, seven or nine members. School board members serve four-year terms.[26]
Term limits
Minnesota does not impose statewide term limits on school board members.[27]
Elections
- See also: Minnesota school board elections, 2024
The table below contains links to all school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2024 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2024. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.
Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.
| 2024 Minnesota School Board Elections | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Primary | General Election | General Runoff Election | Regular term length | Seats up for election | Total board seats | 2017-2018 enrollment |
| Minneapolis Public Schools | 8/13/2024 | 11/5/2024 | N/A | 4 | 4 | 9 | 36,357 |
Path to the ballot
To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in Minnesota, a person must be:[28]
- 21 years of age or older
- An eligible voter in the state
- A district resident for at least 30 days prior to the election
A person must not be:
- A convicted felon or sex offender whose civil rights have not been restored
- An employee of the school district who earns more than $8,000 per fiscal year
- Serving in another public office, except for township board
The process of running for office as a school board candidate begins with filing an affidavit of candidacy with the school district clerk, along with a $2.00 filing fee. Candidates must file in July if their district is holding a primary election, otherwise the filing deadline is in August. According to the Minnesota School Boards Association:
| “ | A primary must be held if a school district has approved a resolution to be part of the primary election system AND if more than two candidates file for a precinct seat, or if more than double the number of candidates file than at-large seats exist.[16] | ” |
| —Minnesota School Boards Association website brochure (2014)[26] | ||
School board elections are held in November in odd or even years, depending on the district.[26]
Campaign finance
Minnesota requires school board candidates who receive or spend more than $750 to file a campaign finance report. All candidates, regardless of how much money they raise or spent, must file a final campaign finance report within seven days after the election.[26]
Recent legislation
The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Minnesota state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
- Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Education ballot measures
- See also: Education on the ballot and List of Minnesota ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.
- Minnesota Investing School Funds, Amendment 3 (1875)
- Minnesota Prohibit Use of Funds for Sectarian Schools, Amendment 7 (1877)
- Minnesota School Funds Loans, Amendment 1 (1886)
- Minnesota County Superintendent Qualifications, Amendment 4 (1908)
- Minnesota Investment of School Funds, Amendment 3 (1912)
- Minnesota Qualifications for County Superintendents, Amendment 5 (1912)
- Minnesota Investment of School Funds, Amendment 5 (1914)
- Minnesota Investment of School Funds, Amendment 2 (1916)
- Minnesota Definition of Academic Facilities, Amendment 1 (1934)
- Minnesota Investment of School Funds, Amendment 1 (1942)
- Minnesota School Investment Requirements, Amendment 1 (1952)
- Minnesota Divert Mining Tax, Amendment 3 (1956)
- Minnesota School Fund Investment Restrictions, Amendment 2 (1984)
In the news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Minnesota education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Historical public education information in Minnesota
- Minnesota state budget and finances
- Minnesota Department of Education
- List of school districts in Minnesota
- School choice in Minnesota
- Charter schools in Minnesota
- Minnesota
- Education Policy in the U.S.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020," May 18, 2022
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
- ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
- ↑ NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ Maciver Institute, "REPORT: How much are teachers really paid?" accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 211.60. Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2012-13," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota Department of Education, "Office of the Commissioner," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Minnesota Department of Education, "Executive Team," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ 2013 Minnesota Statutes, "Chapter 15, Section 06," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ Thomas E Fordham Institute, " How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 29, 2012
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Education Minnesota," accessed October 27, 2009
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Minnesota teachers unions," accessed October 27, 2009
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Office of the Governor, "Governor Pawlenty Unveils New State Website to Allow Citizens to Track Government Spending Online," March 26, 2009
- ↑ Minnpost.com, "Many states, including Minnesota, lag in putting their spending on the Internet," February 27, 2009
- ↑ Education Week "Quality Counts 2014," accessed February 19, 2015
- ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "School Districts in Minnesota," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Minnesota School Boards Association, "Running for School Board," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ National School Boards Association, "Survey of the State School Boards Associations on Term Limits for Local Board Members," accessed July 8, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota School Boards Association, "Legal Requirements for School Board Members," accessed July 9, 2014
