Total enrollment
8,495
+542 (+7%) vs SY 2017-18
Otter Tail County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Otter Tail County sits inside Minnesota and runs 37 public K-12 schools, enrolling about 8,503 students. Fergus Falls Public School District alone accounts for 3,235 of those students. By grade band, the county runs 18 elementary, 4 middle, and 12 high schools.
7-year change in Otter Tail County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
30
-1 (-3%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
81%
was 85%
% Hispanic
9%
was 7%
% Black
3%
was 4%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
37
11 districts
Enrollment
8,503
NCES CCD
Median income
$72,255
Below Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
40.2%
Below Minnesota avg
Elementary
18
3,868 students
Middle
4
1,239 students
High
12
3,382 students
Combined / other
3
14 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Fergus Falls Public School District
3,235 students · 11 districts in Otter Tail County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Otter Tail 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+
28.3%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.8%
civilian labor
Median age
46
21.7% under 18
Test scores in Otter Tail County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 23 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- PERHAM SENIOR HIGH· 69.3%
- BATTLE LAKE ELEMENTARY· 66.9%
- Kennedy High School· 64.8%
- Cleveland Elementary· 61.5%
- Kennedy Middle School· 61.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- PARKERS PRAIRIE SECONDARY· 38.1%
- UNDERWOOD SECONDARY· 39.8%
- iQ Academy 6-8· 42.3%
- HEART OF THE LAKE ELEMENTARY· 46.1%
- iQ Academy K-5· 48.7%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy High School | Fergus Falls | High | 09-12 | 714 | · |
| HEART OF THE LAKE ELEMENTARY | Perham | Elementary | PK-04 | 578 | · |
| Kennedy Middle School | Fergus Falls | Middle | 05-08 | 558 | · |
| PERHAM SENIOR HIGH | Perham | High | 09-12 | 529 | · |
| PRAIRIE WIND MIDDLE | Perham | Middle | 05-08 | 526 | · |
| VIKING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Pelican Rapids | Elementary | PK-06 | 468 | · |
| NEW YORK MILLS ELEMENTARY | New York Mills | Elementary | PK-06 | 460 | · |
| iQ Academy 9-12 | Fergus Falls | High | 09-12 | 375 | · |
| PELICAN RAPIDS SECONDARY | Pelican Rapids | High | 07-12 | 374 | · |
| NEW YORK MILLS SECONDARY | New York Mills | High | 07-12 | 362 | · |
| Cleveland Elementary | Fergus Falls | Elementary | 04-05 | 361 | · |
| UNDERWOOD ELEMENTARY | Underwood | Elementary | PK-06 | 282 | · |
| PARKERS PRAIRIE SECONDARY | Parkers Prairie | High | 07-12 | 280 | · |
| UNDERWOOD SECONDARY | Underwood | High | 05-12 | 272 | · |
| Adams Elementary | Fergus Falls | Elementary | 01-03 | 254 | · |
| PARKERS PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY | Parkers Prairie | Elementary | PK-06 | 251 | · |
| McKinley Elementary | Fergus Falls | Elementary | 01-03 | 249 | · |
| Lincoln School | Fergus Falls | Elementary | PK-KG | 236 | · |
| BATTLE LAKE ELEMENTARY | Battle Lake | Elementary | KG-06 | 230 | · |
| HENNING ELEMENTARY | Henning | Elementary | PK-06 | 210 | · |
| iQ Academy K-5 | Fergus Falls | Elementary | KG-05 | 208 | · |
| BATTLE LAKE SECONDARY | Battle Lake | High | 07-12 | 184 | · |
| HENNING SECONDARY | Henning | High | 07-12 | 171 | · |
| iQ Academy 6-8 | Fergus Falls | Middle | 06-08 | 155 | · |
| Fergus Falls Area Learning Center | Fergus Falls | High | 05-12 | 83 | · |
| Early Childhood Special Education | Fergus Falls | Elementary | PK-PK | 42 | · |
| PERHAM AREA LEARNING CENTER | Perham | High | 07-12 | 38 | · |
| Early Childhood Special Education | Fergus Falls | Elementary | PK-PK | 27 | · |
| Lakes Country Academy | Fergus Falls | Combined | KG-12 | 14 | · |
| FERGUS FALLS EC/ELEMENTARY SP ED | Fergus Falls | Elementary | PK-04 | 8 | · |
| K-8 Special Education | Fergus Falls | Elementary | KG-08 | 4 | · |
| PELICAN RAPIDS ALT CENTER MID-LEVEL | Pelican Rapids | Middle | 07-08 | 0 | · |
| PELICAN RAPIDS ALT LEARNING CENTER | Pelican Rapids | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Shared Time School | Fergus Falls | Combined | KG-12 | 0 | · |
| F.E.D. Parkers Prairie Credit Recov | Parkers Prairie | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| F.E.D. Underwood Credit Recovery | Underwood | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| UNDERWOOD ALP | Underwood | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Otter Tail County
About Otter Tail County
In Minnesota, Otter Tail County is a mid-sized county of about 60,475 residents. 37 public schools across the county enrolls about 8,503 students between them.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show the median household earns about $72,255 a year, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 5%. That income level is 7% meaningfully below the Minnesota median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Otter Tail County spans 18 elementary schools (3,868 students), 4 middle schools (1,239), 12 high schools (3,382), and 3 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Otter Tail County is Fergus Falls Public School District, which alone enrolls about 3,235 students.
Looking at the last 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment expanded 7%: 7,953 students in SY 2017-18 versus 8,495 in SY 2024-25. Otter Tail County now counts 30 public schools, down from 31 in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 85% to 81% over the same window.
On allk12, the community for Otter Tail County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Otter Tail County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data