Eagan School District Has High 'Capture Rate' of Resident Students

The Eagan area has no shortage of quality public schools, and it shows. An impressive 87 percent of school-aged children who live in Independent School District 196, which includes Eagan, attended District 196 schools this year, according to student enrollment and census data maintained by the district.

There were 29,470 students in kindergarten through grade 12 living in District 196 when the district's official enrollment report was calculated in October. Of those children, 25,675 are attending District 196 schools this year, giving the district an 87.1 percent "capture rate" among resident students, according to a news release.

Anything over 80 percent is considered high for a school district in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, according to former state demographer Hazel Reinhardt of Hazel Reinhardt Consulting Services. She says capture rate is a reflection on the quality of local public schools, as well as the presence of charter schools, nonpublic schools and other educational alternatives in the area.

The number of children living in District 196 who are home schooled or attend traditional non-public schools remained at 7.4 percent. The other 5.4 percent of school-aged children in District 196 attend charter schools or public schools in other districts. Students who open enroll into the district are not included when calculating capture rate.

District 196 serves approximately 27,000 students in early childhood, K-12 and special education programs combined, and offers community education programs for residents of all ages.

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