C
Cook County Public Schools
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 4 towns
Serves Grand Marais, Lutsen, Tofte and Schroeder.
Students
475
Schools
4
Spent per student
$18,606
MN $17,091
Students per teacher
11:1
Free or reduced lunch
42%
Debt
$7.9M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Cook County Public Schools
- School Grade C: better than 30% of Minnesota districts
- Math proficiency 22 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 6 pts below the state
- Graduation rate (4-year) 11 pts above the state
- Spends 9% more per student than the MN average
- 11 students per teacher
- Enrollment up 19.6% since 2020
- Debt of $7.9M, about $16,722 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Tofte.
PK–5Sawtooth Mountain ElementaryThis district
6–8Cook County MiddleThis district
9–12Cook County Senior HighThis district
Test scores vs. MN
2020–21Math proficiency22%
State average 44.2%
Reading / language arts47%
State average 52.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)95%
State average 84.4% · small group: the state reports 90–100%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$18,606 per student · 9% above MN
Spending
Classroom instruction 68%Support & administration 28%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 27%State 63%Federal 10%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
397’20
431’21
459’22
457’23
475’24
Up 19.6% since 2020.
Students
White 68%American Indian/Alaska Native 13%Two or more races 12%Hispanic 7%Black <1%
Schools in the district
4 public schools.
Towns served
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.