Total enrollment
3,657
-164 (-4%) vs SY 2017-18
Pine County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Pine County in Minnesota has 21 public K-12 schools in service today, collectively responsible for roughly 3,657 students with Pine City Public School District the largest district. By level, that breaks down as 8 elementary, 1 middle, and 11 high schools.
7-year change in Pine County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
15
0 (0%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
80%
was 86%
% Hispanic
4%
was 3%
% Black
1%
was 2%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
21
5 districts
Enrollment
3,657
NCES CCD
Median income
$71,146
Below Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
45.6%
Above Minnesota avg
Elementary
8
1,952 students
Middle
1
schools
High
11
1,686 students
Combined / other
1
19 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
PINE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
1,582 students · 5 districts in Pine County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Pine 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+
17.4%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.6%
civilian labor
Median age
46
19.1% under 18
Test scores in Pine County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 9 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- WILLOW RIVER SECONDARY· 49.0%
- WILLOW RIVER ELEMENTARY· 48.8%
- FINLAYSON ELEMENTARY· 48.4%
- EAST CENTRAL ELEMENTARY· 44.7%
- PINE CITY SECONDARY· 43.8%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON SECONDARY· 32.5%
- EAST CENTRAL SENIOR SECONDARY· 35.7%
- HINCKLEY ELEMENTARY· 36.5%
- PINE CITY ELEMENTARY· 42.0%
- PINE CITY SECONDARY· 43.8%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PINE CITY ELEMENTARY | Pine City | Elementary | PK-06 | 863 | · |
| PINE CITY SECONDARY | Pine City | High | 07-12 | 683 | · |
| HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON SECONDARY | Hinckley | High | 07-12 | 398 | · |
| HINCKLEY ELEMENTARY | Hinckley | Elementary | PK-06 | 395 | · |
| EAST CENTRAL ELEMENTARY | Finlayson | Elementary | PK-06 | 391 | · |
| EAST CENTRAL SENIOR SECONDARY | Finlayson | High | 07-12 | 309 | · |
| WILLOW RIVER ELEMENTARY | Willow River | Elementary | PK-06 | 231 | · |
| WILLOW RIVER SECONDARY | Willow River | High | 07-12 | 205 | · |
| FINLAYSON ELEMENTARY | Finlayson | Elementary | PK-06 | 58 | · |
| CROSSROADS AREA LEARNING CENTER | Finlayson | High | 07-12 | 32 | · |
| PINE CITY AREA LEARNING CENTER | Pine City | High | 09-12 | 22 | · |
| Pine County Transition Program | Hinckley | High | 09-12 | 19 | · |
| Vision | Pine City | Combined | KG-12 | 19 | · |
| Empower Learning Center | Hinckley | High | 09-12 | 18 | · |
| EARLY CHILDHOOD | Pine City | Elementary | PK-PK | 14 | · |
| East Central Early Childhood | Finlayson | Elementary | PK-KG | 0 | · |
| MidLevel ALC | Pine City | High | 07-11 | 0 | · |
| Online Academy Elementary | Pine City | Elementary | KG-05 | 0 | · |
| Online Academy High | Pine City | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Online Academy Middle | Pine City | Middle | 06-08 | 0 | · |
| Pine County Transition Program | Hinckley | High | 12-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Pine County
About Pine County
In Minnesota, Pine County is a compact county of about 29,640 residents. 21 public schools across the county instructs about 3,657 students between them.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show the median household earns about $71,146 a year, 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%. That income level is 8% meaningfully below the Minnesota median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Pine County is made up of 8 elementary schools (1,952 students), 1 middle school (0), 11 high schools (1,686), and 1 combined or other schools.
PINE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 1,582 students on its own.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment fell 4%: 3,821 students in SY 2017-18 versus 3,657 in SY 2024-25. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 86% to 80% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Pine County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Pine County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data