Public School Enrollment in Minnesota Drops During Pandemic

Public school enrollment is Minnesota dropped by about 17,000 students as families turned to home schooling, private schools, and delaying entry into kindergarten amid the coronavirus pandemic.

State education officials say the enrollment figures from the Minnesota Department of Education represented a 2% drop from the previous school year. The state allocates school funding based on enrollment, and districts stand to lose about $10,000 for every student they failed to keep.

Gov. Tim Walz has proposed an education budget that includes $25 million in one-time money to compensate.