Total enrollment
1,284
+180 (+16%) vs SY 2017-18
Mahnomen County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Mahnomen County's public schools, 8 in all, serve approximately 1,284 K-12 students inside Minnesota, with Mahnomen Public School District the largest district by enrollment. By grade band, the county runs 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 5 high schools.
7-year change in Mahnomen County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
7
-1 (-12%) vs SY 2017-18
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
8
3 districts
Enrollment
1,284
NCES CCD
Median income
$59,441
Below Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
72.2%
Above Minnesota avg
Elementary
2
453 students
Middle
1
162 students
High
5
669 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
MAHNOMEN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
674 students · 3 districts in Mahnomen County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Mahnomen County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
16.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
14.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
9.8%
civilian labor
Median age
35
31.0% under 18
Test scores in Mahnomen County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 5 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- WAUBUN SECONDARY· 35.8%
- WAUBUN ELEMENTARY· 32.3%
- NAYTAHWAUSH COMMUNITY SCHOOL· 26.0%
- MAHNOMEN SECONDARY· 24.8%
- MAHNOMEN ELEMENTARY· 23.5%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAHNOMEN ELEMENTARY | Mahnomen | Elementary | PK-06 | 319 | · |
| MAHNOMEN SECONDARY | Mahnomen | High | 07-12 | 312 | · |
| WAUBUN SECONDARY | Waubun | High | 07-12 | 283 | · |
| WAUBUN ELEMENTARY | Waubun | Middle | 04-06 | 162 | · |
| NAYTAHWAUSH COMMUNITY SCHOOL | Naytahwaush | Elementary | KG-06 | 134 | · |
| MAHNOMEN AREA LEARNING CENTER | Mahnomen | High | 06-12 | 43 | · |
| Waubun ALC | Waubun | High | 07-12 | 31 | · |
| WAUBUN AREA LEARNING PROGRAM | Waubun | High | 10-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Mahnomen County
About Mahnomen County
Mahnomen County is a small county of about 5,358 residents in Minnesota. Its public-school system enrolls approximately 1,284 students across 8 schools.
Stepping back, census numbers show the median household earns about $59,441 a year, about 16% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 15%. That income level is 23% meaningfully below the Minnesota median.
On the school-mix side, Mahnomen County spans 2 elementary schools (453 students), 1 middle school (162), and 5 high schools (669).
The largest single district in Mahnomen County is MAHNOMEN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, which alone enrolls about 674 students.
Five-year track record. Combined enrollment now sits at 1,284 students, increased 16% from the 1,104 reported in SY 2017-18. Over that span, Mahnomen County closed 1 school, going from 8 to 7.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Mahnomen County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Mahnomen County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data