Northwoods Reporter

There were eight Black students enrolled in Washburn County districts in the 2022-23 school year, 42.9% less than the previous year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Data showed that Washburn County welcomed 2,231 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 0.4% of the student body, making them the second least represented ethnicity in the county districts.

Among the four districts in Washburn County, Spooner Area School District recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of four students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Washburn County.

White students were more likely to graduate from high school than any other ethnic group in Wisconsin. According to recent US Census data, nearly 95% of white students in the state successfully graduated in 2021.

Graduation rates for Black and multiracial students lagged behind white students by 10%.

Even further behind, only 71.6% of Hispanic students completed their high school education during the same period, one of the lowest graduation rates in the state.

District	% of Black Students	Total Enrollment
Birchwood School District	0.4%	267
Northwood School District	0.3%	313
Shell Lake School District	0.3%	636
Spooner Area School District	0.4%	1,015