I recently had a constituent ask how open enrollment has changed from the early 2000s to today. Unfortunately, the district data does not go back quite that far online, but Mankato Area Public Schools and a few other districts do have historical demographic data available on their websites.

Another question I’m often asked is about average class sizes, so I’m sharing both open enrollment numbers and class-size snapshots.

To find this information on your own:

Go to the district website Business services -→ scroll to Financial Statements → choose the year → open the demographic data 2026 or 2020 or 2013

A few things to keep in mind:

The class-size information is an October 1 snapshot, so it reflects enrollment and staffing at that point in time each year.

For open enrollment, the earliest data I found online goes back to the 2012–13 school year. At that time, Mankato received 423 students from other districts and lost 240 students to other districts, for a net gain of 183 students.

Students into Mankato Schools

Students Leaving Mankato Schools:

In Oct.1st 2019, right before covid:

This previous school year 2025/26:

2012–13 School Year
Students open enrolling into Mankato Schools: 423
Students leaving Mankato Schools: 240
Net gain/loss: +183

October 1, 2019 — Right Before COVID
Students open enrolling into Mankato Schools: 424
Students leaving Mankato Schools:702
Net gain/loss: -278

2025–26 School Year
Students open enrolling into Mankato Schools: 296
Students leaving Mankato Schools: 925
Net gain/loss: -629

I’m sharing this because open enrollment and class size are two important pieces of the bigger conversation about enrollment, staffing, family choice, and long-term planning for our schools.

Some Minnesota districts go beyond the Minnesota Report Card and publish their own demographic or enrollment-planning reports. Examples include Mankato Area Public Schools (above), Anoka-Hennepin, Bloomington, Robbinsdale, Saint Paul and Lakeville (has not been updated since 2023/24). The level of detail varies widely: Mankato and Bloomington publish broad demographic books or enrollment snapshots, and Anoka-Hennepin and Robbinsdale publish projection-focused reports.

Thanks,

Elizabeth Hanke