Best Public Schools in Ellsworth, MN

Ellsworth, Minnesota is a small rural community whose 136 students attend just two schools: Ellsworth Elementary (grades PK–6, enrollment 76) and Ellsworth Secondary (grades 7–12, enrollment 60), both in the Ellsworth Public School District. The district ranks 148 of 458 in Minnesota — the 68th percentile with 3 stars — but that single district rating hides sharp differences between the two schools. Because both schools are small, grade-level results can swing widely from year to year, and several scores are suppressed by the state (shown as “—”) to protect student privacy.

Ellsworth Secondary is the standout. In 2025–2026 it ranked 57 of 473 schools — the 88th percentile with 4 stars — a dramatic climb from the 24th percentile in 2020–2021 and the 42nd percentile in 2021–2022. Its 10th grade Reading score of 69.2% proficient is far above the state’s 42.5%, and all-grade Reading (50%) and Science (26.9%) both beat state averages, with a 0.0% dropout rate versus 4.2% statewide. Math is the clear weakness: all-grade Math is 26.9%, well below the district’s 36.4% and the state’s 44.9%. Graduation is 81.8%, slightly under the state’s 84.9%.

Ellsworth Elementary is strong in Reading and Science, with all-grade Reading at 55% (state 48.6%) and Science at 36.4% (state 25.5%); 5th grade Reading (63.6%) and 5th grade Science (36.4%) are especially notable. Math is mixed: 42.5% overall versus the state’s 44.9%, with 4th grade at 58.3% but 5th grade at only 18.2% (state 41.9%). The school’s rank slipped to 414 of 869 — the 52nd percentile with 3 stars — after the 71st percentile with 4 stars the prior year, following a Math drop from 60% to 42.5%. Elementary also has a higher free/reduced lunch rate (46.05%) than the secondary school (31.67%), while student–teacher ratios are similar (10.7 and 11.1).