Ridgeway Community School

Ridgeway Community School is a charter elementary serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Houston, Minnesota. With 91 students and a 9.1-to-1 student-teacher ratio, every child gets direct, consistent adult attention — a structural advantage that scales much harder at larger schools. The school earns an Exceptional composite score of 9.5 out of 10.

Academic performance checks in at 9.3, but the standout number is a near-perfect 9.9 growth score — measuring actual learning gains year over year, not just where students start. Statewide, Ridgeway ranks #6 out of 1,987 public schools in Minnesota, outperforming 100% of the state. That's a result that holds up whether the lens is raw achievement or how much students grow under instruction.

Locally, Ridgeway is the #1 school among the six public schools serving Houston. For families comparing options in the area, the math is clean: the highest-performing elementary in town is a charter with small classes and scores that place it in the top fraction of a percent statewide. Few elementary schools anywhere in Minnesota can claim that combination.

With an enrollment of 91 students, Ridgeway Community School is a smaller school where families often find a close-knit community atmosphere. Smaller settings can mean more individual attention from teachers and staff, though they may offer fewer extracurricular options than larger schools.

With a student-teacher ratio of 9.1:1, Ridgeway Community School offers a notably low ratio compared to the national average. This typically means smaller class sizes and more opportunities for one-on-one interaction between students and teachers.

Ridgeway Community School is a charter school — a publicly funded school that operates with more autonomy than traditional district schools. Charter schools often have distinct educational models or specialties. Parents should understand the school's specific mission, enrollment process, and how its approach differs from nearby district options.