Summary:
The city of Appleton, Minnesota has only one school serving grades PK-4: Appleton-Milan Elementary, a public school that is part of the Lac qui Parle Valley Schools district. With an enrollment of 223 students, Appleton-Milan Elementary is a relatively small school that is underperforming academically compared to district and state averages.
Appleton-Milan Elementary's proficiency rates in Math and Reading on the MCA-III assessments are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grades and years. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's Math proficiency rate for all grades was 38.1%, compared to 32.05% for the district and 45.21% for the state. The school's Reading proficiency rates show a similar pattern, with the school's all-grades rate of 31.75% lagging the district's 35.8% and the state's 49.59%. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking among elementary schools has declined over the past three years, from 675 out of 845 in 2022-2023 to 667 out of 872 in 2024-2025.
With nearly 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Appleton-Milan Elementary serves a high-poverty student population, which can present additional challenges for the school. The school's small size and declining academic performance suggest that it may need additional support and resources to improve student outcomes and better serve the community of Appleton, Minnesota.
Thank you for your feedback!