Minnesota sees sharp drop in public school students during pandemic

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

The figures from the Minnesota Department of Education represented a 2% drop.

Because of the per-pupil formula the state uses to allocate school funding, that aid will drop by about $10,000 per lost student unless the Legislature makes up the difference.

Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed education budget includes $25 million in one-time money to compensate.

On Friday, Walz announced that more than 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been given to Minnesota residents.