Skip to main content

Public elementary school · West Central Area · Elbow Lake, Minnesota

West Central Area N. El.

West Central Area N. El. rates 8.1, below most West Central Area elementary schools, whose rated median is 8.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.1this school

8.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the West Central Area median is 8.8.

#198 of 2,005 schools in Minnesota · West Central Area: 2 elementary schools rated, median 8.8

The brief

An elementary school in Elbow Lake, MN where students score 20 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 198 of 2,005 schools in Minnesota and 2 of 4 in West Central Area.

West Central Area N. El. is listed in West Central Area, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math74%17 points above the Minnesota average of 57%Grades 3–4 · 59 students tested · 2025 MCA
Reading52%6 points above the Minnesota average of 46%Grades 3–4 · 59 students tested · 2025 MCA
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 9 points since 2021, reaching 63% in 2025.2025 MCA; 36 test records from MN state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.1
50% of the rating
Academics
9.4
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.7
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 73% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 56531; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
West Central Area N. El. and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$73,162
Median home value
$151,600
Median rent
$785/mo
College educated
19.9%
Homeownership
75.5%
Poverty rate
12.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 56531; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
41
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
37
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
99/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
46.2%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does West Central Area N. El. serve?

West Central Area N. El. serves students in grades Pre-K through 4th.

How many students attend West Central Area N. El.?

West Central Area N. El. has an enrollment of approximately 156 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at West Central Area N. El.?

The student-teacher ratio at West Central Area N. El. is 9.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does West Central Area N. El. rank in MN?

West Central Area N. El. ranks #198 of 2,005 schools in MN.

What is West Central Area N. El.'s MySchoolScout rating?

West Central Area N. El. has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at West Central Area N. El.?

Based on loaded state assessment records, West Central Area N. El. has 73% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 62% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is West Central Area N. El. a charter school?

No, West Central Area N. El. is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is West Central Area N. El. a Title I school?

No, West Central Area N. El. is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for West Central Area N. El.?

46.2% of students at West Central Area N. El. qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 4th
Enrollment
156
Student-teacher ratio
9.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
17
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Remote Rural
County
Grant County
Phone
(218) 685-7500
Rank in district
#2 of 4
Schools in district
5
District spending per student
$14,757
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 56531)
1,948
Area average commute
22.2 min
Area median age
41.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Minnesota Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.