Detroit Lakes Public Schools
Listed by NCES as Detroit Lakes Public School Dist. (district ID 2710230)
Public school district · Becker County · Minnesota · NCES district ID 2710230
Detroit Lakes Public Schools spent $14,880 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 69% of the other Minnesota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $14,091). Its 8 schools enrolled 2,711 students in 2024-25; 64.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,411 per student, up 3.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 82% (Minnesota: 83.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Minnesota districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Detroit Lakes Public Schools in enrollment (2,641 to 3,048 students) and Detroit Lakes Public Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$48,138,000 in revenue: 64.3% state, 25.6% local and 10.1% federal. Total spending including $4,426,000 of capital outlay was $49,166,000, or $17,717 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$30,956,000 64%
- Local$12,326,000 26%
- Federal$4,856,000 10%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 163 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,775 students in 2022-23, 2,797 students in 2023-24, 2,711 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,775 | 181.1 | 15.3 |
| 2023-24 | 2,797 | 188.3 | 14.9 |
| 2024-25 | 2,711 | 186.3 | 14.6 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$14,130,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,092 per student
Detroit Lakes Public Schools booked $14,130,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 195 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $72,332 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 77 in 100 Minnesota districts with a figure (state median $62,418, 464 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $10,179,000 | 72.0% |
| Special education | $2,785,000 | 19.7% |
| Vocational | $820,000 | 5.8% |
| Other programs | $346,000 | 2.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,238 in 2018-19, $4,293 in 2019-20, $4,809 in 2020-21, $4,901 in 2021-22, $5,092 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Detroit Lakes Public Schools scored proficient or above: 54% in reading and 45% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Minnesota, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Minnesota | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 54% | 51.1% | 1,349 |
| Math | 45% | 44.8% | 1,318 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
82% of the 251 students in Detroit Lakes Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 82% | 83.3% |
| Students in the class | 251 | 69,945 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
2 elementary schools, 1,127 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rossman Elementary | 565 | 13.3 | 29.0% | Eligible, no program |
| Roosevelt Elementary | 562 | 12.5 | 42.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 617 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lakes Middle | 617 | 16.4 | 26.9% | Targeted program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 high schools, 903 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lakes Senior High | 791 | 14.8 | 25.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Detroit Lakes Area Learning Center | 57 | 9.5 | 52.6% | Eligible, no program |
| E-Laker Online School | 38 | not reported | 26.3% | Not Title I |
| Laker Transitions | 17 | 8.5 | 41.2% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 64 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Early Childhood Ed. Center | 64 | not reported | 56.3% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
E-Laker Online School
High school in Detroit Lakes; open in 2024-25; 38 students.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Detroit Lakes Public Schools
- Website: dlschools.net
- Phone: (218) 847-9271
- Office: 702 Lake Ave, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Detroit Lakes Public Schools
- Minnesota districts by spending per studentDetroit Lakes Public Schools ranks 52 of 163 Minnesota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,880).#52 of 163
- Every school district in MinnesotaDetroit Lakes Public Schools is the number 70 by size of 543 Minnesota districts, with 2,775 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#70 of 543
- Fridley Public SchoolsThe next larger Minnesota district: 2,788 students in fall 2022, $17,928 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,928
- Hutchinson Public SchoolsThe next smaller Minnesota district: 2,765 students in fall 2022, $12,790 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,790
- Compare Detroit Lakes Public Schools with Fridley Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Detroit Lakes Senior High, its largest high school791 students in 2024-25, 14.8 per teacher.791
- Teacher salary spending across MinnesotaDetroit Lakes Public Schools spent $72,332 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,418); spending, not a salary.$72,332
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Detroit Lakes Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Detroit Lakes Public Schools?
8 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 4 high, 1 other), enrolling 2,711 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Detroit Lakes Public Schools spend per student?
$14,880 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Minnesota median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $14,091 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,411 per student, up 3.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Detroit Lakes Public Schools' money come from?
$48,138,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 64.3% state, 25.6% local and 10.1% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Detroit Lakes Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 394 of the 3,038 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 13.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Detroit Lakes Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$14,130,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,092 per student. Divided by the 195 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $72,332 per teacher, more than 77 in 100 Minnesota districts (state median $62,418). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Detroit Lakes Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Detroit Lakes Public Schools scored proficient or above: 54% in reading and 45% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Minnesota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Detroit Lakes Public Schools?
82% of the 251 students in Detroit Lakes Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Detroit Lakes Public Schools' NCES district ID?
2710230. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25