Total enrollment
4,722
-130 (-3%) vs SY 2020-21
15 schools in Bemidji Public School District
Minnesota · 4,722 students · 2 cities
For families inside Bemidji Public School District, public-school options total 15 K-12 schools, with enrollment near 4,722 (7 elementary, 2 middle, and 5 high).
4-year change in Bemidji Public School District
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
14
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Bemidji Public School District ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Minnesota | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.9% | #100 of 163 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 4,722 | #40 of 269 | #2,034 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 14 | #23 of 269 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.8:1 | #124 of 267 | #5,234 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 42.3% | #103 of 269 | #5,239 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 47.5% | #54 of 152 | #3,261 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Bemidji Public School District
State test results across the district's 8 scored schools run from Lincoln Elementary at 64.0% proficient to J.W. Smith Elementary at 17.3%, a gap of 46.7 points. That is the 7th widest gap among 84 Minnesota districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 11 district schools that reported both years went from 4,922 to 4,050 students (down 18%) and from 295 to 271 full-time teachers (down 8%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji Senior High | Bemidji | High | 09-12 | 1,537 |
| Bemidji Middle | Bemidji | Middle | 06-08 | 967 |
| Gene Dillon Elementary School | Bemidji | Elementary | 04-05 | 667 |
| Lincoln Elementary | Bemidji | Elementary | PK-03 | 320 |
| Horace May Elementary | Bemidji | Elementary | PK-03 | 300 |
| Northern Elementary | Bemidji | Elementary | PK-03 | 282 |
| J.W. Smith Elementary | Bemidji | Elementary | PK-03 | 238 |
| Solway Elementary | Solway | Elementary | PK-03 | 148 |
| Paul Bunyan Center | Bemidji | Elementary | PK-PK | 118 |
| Bemidji Senior Lumberjack ALC | Bemidji | High | 09-12 | 85 |
| First City School | Bemidji | Combined | 03-12 | 48 |
| Lakeside Learning Center | Bemidji | High | 06-12 | 7 |
| Oshki Manidoo Center | Bemidji | High | 07-12 | 4 |
| Bemidji Middle ALP | Bemidji | Middle | 06-08 | 1 |
| Bemidji Area Learning Center | Bemidji | High | 05-12 | 0 |
About Bemidji Public School District
Bemidji Public School District operates 15 public schools across Minnesota, collectively teacheing roughly 4,722 students.
Looking at the level breakdown, Bemidji Public School District spans 7 elementary, 2 middle, 5 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
Per-school enrollment averages around 315 in this district, noticeably below the Minnesota typical of 357.
Over the past 4-year window. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment fell 3%: 4,852 students in SY 2020-21 versus 4,722 in SY 2024-25.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Bemidji Public School District discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.