Dakota Meadows Middle School

As a high-enrollment middle school in NORTH MANKATO, Minnesota, Dakota Meadows Middle School works with 852 students from grades 6 through 8, run under MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. That puts it 72% larger than the typical public school in Minnesota, which averages around 495 students.

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT comprises 22 schools with combined enrollment of 8,219 students; Dakota Meadows Middle School is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Dakota Meadows Middle School shows that White students make up the majority at 76%. Beyond that, the school reports 9% Black, 8% multiracial, 6% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 87% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 19.1:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.5:1, putting Dakota Meadows Middle School higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 30% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Dakota Meadows Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 47.0%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Nicollet County indicate median household earnings sit near $79,756, about 36% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 3%. Dakota Meadows Middle School is one of 25 public schools in Nicollet County (combined enrollment of about 4,447 students).

The closest other public school is Futures Sun, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Dakota Meadows Middle School comes 6th of 6 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 56.1%.

Dakota Meadows Middle School operates from a residential location.

Five-year trend. Dakota Meadows Middle School's enrollment has fell 9% since 2018, when it stood at 937 (now 852). The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 20.2:1 in 2018 to 19.1:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.