Public schools in Brainerd, MN
Brainerd has 9 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 3,433 students. They are run by 2 districts and agencies; Brainerd Public School District runs 8 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 2 districts and agencies that run Brainerd's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Brainerd | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd Public School District | 8 | 6,232 | $14,608 |
| Discovery Woods | 1 | 102 | $13,118 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 high schools in Brainerd, 1,971 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd Senior High | 1,805 | 20.0 | 24.4% | Brainerd |
| ISD 181 Learning Center | 166 | 14.9 | 44.0% | Brainerd |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One middle school in Brainerd, 14 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Level Alternative Program | 14 | 7.0 | 64.3% | Brainerd |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 elementary schools in Brainerd, 1,343 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Elementary | 407 | 10.2 | 46.7% | Brainerd |
| Lowell Elementary | 355 | 13.9 | 34.9% | Brainerd |
| Garfield Elementary | 250 | 12.1 | 43.2% | Brainerd |
| Harrison Elementary | 230 | 12.1 | 49.6% | Brainerd |
| Discovery Woods | 101 | 8.9 | 51.5% | Discovery Woods |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Brainerd, 105 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Education Center | 105 | 6.6 | 72.4% | Brainerd |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Brainerd's public schools compare with Minnesota's
The median Brainerd school has 12.1 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the Minnesota median of 13.7. 56% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 20% across the state. Its median school enrolls 230 students (state 275).
| Brainerd | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.1 | 13.7 |
| Median school size (students) | 230 | 275 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 56% | 20% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 100% | 22% |
| Charter schools | 11% | 12% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 9 Brainerd schools and the 2,321 Minnesota schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Brainerd
- Brainerd Public School DistrictRuns 8 of Brainerd's 9 public schools and spent $14,608 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,608
- Brainerd Senior High, the largest high school in Brainerd1,805 students in 2024-25, 20.0 per teacher.1,805
- Compare Brainerd Public School District with Discovery WoodsBrainerd's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in MinnesotaMinnesota's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Brainerd addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Minnesota
- Saint Paul135 schools
- Minneapolis132 schools
- Rochester44 schools
- Duluth30 schools
- Brooklyn Park29 schools
- Plymouth27 schools
- Bloomington26 schools
- Apple Valley20 schools
Questions about schools in Brainerd
How many public schools are in Brainerd, MN?
9 public schools with an address in Brainerd were open in 2024-25: 2 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 3,433 students. 1 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Brainerd?
Brainerd Senior High, with 1,805 students in 2024-25 (Brainerd Public School District).Which districts run Brainerd's schools?
Brainerd Public School District (8 schools), Discovery Woods (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25