Total enrollment
16,250
+241 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
Sherburne County
Minnesota · Public K-12
In Sherburne County, 45 public K-12 schools make up the local education system, comprising 17 elementary, 10 middle, and 17 high. Combined enrollment is about 16,306 students.
7-year change in Sherburne County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
38
+4 (+12%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
79%
was 85%
% Hispanic
6%
was 4%
% Black
7%
was 5%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
45
8 districts
Enrollment
16,306
NCES CCD
Median income
$105,466
Above Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
28.5%
Below Minnesota avg
Elementary
17
7,909 students
Middle
10
3,461 students
High
17
4,913 students
Combined / other
1
23 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Elk River Public School District
8,062 students · 8 districts in Sherburne County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Sherburne 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+
29.7%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
3.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.0%
civilian labor
Median age
37
25.8% under 18
Test scores in Sherburne County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 22 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- TWIN LAKES ELEMENTARY· 79.0%
- MEADOWVALE ELEMENTARY· 69.8%
- Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6· 67.3%
- SPECTRUM HIGH SCHOOL· 66.4%
- PARKER ELEMENTARY· 63.7%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- TALAHI COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY· 16.2%
- Three Rivers Montessori School· 31.3%
- BECKER SENIOR HIGH· 46.0%
- BIG LAKE SENIOR HIGH· 46.1%
- VANDENBERGE MIDDLE SCHOOL· 46.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK RIVER SENIOR HIGH | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 1,562 | · |
| BIG LAKE SENIOR HIGH | Big Lake | High | 09-12 | 902 | · |
| BECKER SENIOR HIGH | Becker | High | 09-12 | 881 | · |
| INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARY | Big Lake | Elementary | 03-05 | 758 | · |
| LIBERTY ELEMENTARY | Big Lake | Elementary | PK-02 | 756 | · |
| TWIN LAKES ELEMENTARY | Elk River | Elementary | KG-05 | 704 | · |
| ZIMMERMAN HIGH SCHOOL | Zimmerman | High | 09-12 | 704 | · |
| TALAHI COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY | Saint Cloud | Elementary | PK-03 | 701 | · |
| BECKER PRIMARY | Becker | Elementary | PK-03 | 672 | · |
| BECKER MIDDLE | Becker | Middle | 06-08 | 656 | · |
| BECKER INTERMEDIATE ELEMENTARY | Becker | Elementary | 03-05 | 644 | · |
| SALK MIDDLE SCHOOL | Elk River | Middle | 06-08 | 638 | · |
| BIG LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL | Big Lake | Middle | 06-08 | 632 | · |
| WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY | Zimmerman | Elementary | 03-05 | 562 | · |
| VANDENBERGE MIDDLE SCHOOL | Elk River | Middle | 06-08 | 557 | · |
| LINCOLN ELEMENTARY | Elk River | Elementary | KG-05 | 554 | · |
| MEADOWVALE ELEMENTARY | Elk River | Elementary | KG-05 | 554 | · |
| ZIMMERMAN ELEMENTARY | Zimmerman | Elementary | KG-02 | 522 | · |
| ZIMMERMAN MIDDLE | Zimmerman | Middle | 06-08 | 514 | · |
| PARKER ELEMENTARY | Elk River | Elementary | KG-05 | 513 | · |
| SPECTRUM HIGH SCHOOL | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 502 | · |
| CLEARVIEW ELEMENTARY | Clear Lake | Elementary | KG-05 | 401 | · |
| Handke Center- EC Special Education | Elk River | Elementary | PK-PK | 399 | · |
| Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 | Elk River | Middle | 07-08 | 291 | · |
| Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6 | Elk River | Middle | 06-06 | 147 | · |
| Three Rivers Montessori School | Elk River | Elementary | KG-06 | 119 | · |
| Big Lake Online 6-12 | Big Lake | High | 06-12 | 118 | · |
| IVAN SAND COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 88 | · |
| Online728 High School | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 81 | · |
| C.O.M.P.A.S.S. | Elk River | High | 12-12 | 28 | · |
| Online728 Elementary School | Elk River | Elementary | KG-05 | 25 | · |
| Online728 Middle School | Elk River | Middle | 06-08 | 25 | · |
| BECKER ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM | Becker | High | 09-12 | 24 | · |
| Big Lake Online K-5 | Big Lake | Elementary | KG-05 | 24 | · |
| ISD 728 FOCUS/JOURNEY | Elk River | Combined | 02-12 | 23 | · |
| MN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY-ST. CLOUD | Saint Cloud | High | 09-12 | 14 | · |
| FAIRVIEW PROGRAM | Elk River | High | 06-12 | 6 | · |
| M Health Fairview C&T | Princeton | High | 06-12 | 2 | · |
| ELK RIVER DISTRICT SHARED TIME PROG | Elk River | Elementary | KG-05 | 1 | · |
| IVAN SAND AFTER SCHOOL CREDIT RECOV | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 1 | · |
| Ivan Sand Middle School ALC | Elk River | Middle | 06-08 | 1 | · |
| IVAN SAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL SUMMER | Elk River | High | 10-12 | 0 | · |
| IVAN SAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL- IS | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Spectrum Online High School | Elk River | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Spectrum Online Middle School | Elk River | Middle | 06-08 | 0 | · |
Cities in Sherburne County
About Sherburne County
Sherburne County is an average-sized Minnesota county of about 100,560 residents, home to 45 public schools and roughly 16,306 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show median household income runs near $105,466, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 3%. That income level is 36% higher than the Minnesota median.
Looking at the level breakdown, Sherburne County covers 17 elementary schools (7,909 students), 10 middle schools (3,461), 17 high schools (4,913), and 1 combined or other schools.
Elk River Public School District is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 8,062 students across Sherburne County.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment remained close to its prior level: 16,009 students in SY 2017-18 versus 16,250 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Sherburne County opened 4 schools, going from 34 to 38. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 85% to 79% over the same window.
On allk12, the community for Sherburne County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Sherburne County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data