Best Public Schools in Chatfield, MN

Chatfield, Minnesota is served by three schools, all within Chatfield Public Schools: Chatfield Elementary School (PK–6, 469 students), Chatfield Secondary (7–12, 423 students), and Focus Alp (9–12, 6 students), for a total of 898 students. There is no standalone middle school, since the secondary school covers grades 7 through 12. The district is ranked 78th of 458 in Minnesota, placing it in the 83rd percentile with 4 stars.

Chatfield Elementary School is the clear standout, ranked 103 of 869 (88th percentile, 4 stars) and improving from 137 to 124 to 103 over recent years. Its math proficiency is 69.1% against a state figure of 44.9%, and reading is 67.4% against 48.6%, with 3rd and 4th grade math particularly strong. Science, at 27.7%, is above the state's 25.5% but far below its math and reading results. Chatfield Secondary shows mixed results: it ranks 177 of 473 (63rd percentile, 3 stars) with a declining rank trend, and its math (38.1%) and reading (46.7%) fall below state averages, while science (29.5%) is above. Eleventh grade math is a specific concern at 26.3% versus the state's 35.3%. Even so, its graduation rate of 92.3% and dropout rate of 2.5% both beat the state.

Focus Alp cannot be fairly evaluated, as its current test scores and graduation data are suppressed because of its tiny enrollment; the only school-level figures available are from 2021–22. Note that district averages, such as 56.6% in math and 58.8% in reading, sit between a high-performing elementary and a lower-performing secondary, masking real differences between the schools. The elementary also has a lower student/teacher ratio (13.8 versus 15.6) and a higher free/reduced lunch rate, useful context rather than explanation.