Data-Driven Education Journalism for the North Star State
Nearly one in five Minnesota students now receives special education services, up from one in seven in 2014, straining budgets despite a historic state funding increase.
The state that invented charter schools 35 years ago saw its charter share stall at 8.3% in 2025-26, even as 76 of the 245 charters ever opened have closed.
St. Cloud's Black enrollment surged from 12% to 43% in 20 years, driven by Somali resettlement. The district now has more Black students than white.
Minnesota lost 21,120 students during COVID. Five years later, only 1,092 have returned, a 5.2% recovery rate that masks a deeper structural shift.
After 18 straight years of growth that doubled their numbers, Hispanic students in Minnesota declined by 137 in 2025-26.
MDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 873,175 students statewide, erasing last year's bounce and confirming the COVID floor.