Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Lakefield, MN

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Minnesota Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Minnesota Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

Schools

411

Students

Top rankedPleasantview Elementary387^th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Pleasantview Elementary up 38 spots statewide this year

Compare Minnesota cities →See the top-ranked Minnesota schools →

Summary:

The city of Lakefield, Minnesota is home to two schools - Jackson County Central Middle and Pleasantview Elementary. These schools serve students from kindergarten through 8th grade within the Jackson County Central School District.

Based on the available data, Pleasantview Elementary appears to be the standout school in the Lakefield area. The school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in Math, Reading, and Science proficiency, particularly in 4th and 5th grades. Pleasantview Elementary also has a lower student-teacher ratio of 12.3, compared to 14.6 at Jackson County Central Middle. While both schools serve a significant population of students from low-income households, Pleasantview Elementary's stronger academic performance suggests it may be serving its student population more effectively.

In contrast, Jackson County Central Middle School has been ranked between 182-206 out of 519-545 Minnesota middle schools in the past 3 years, with proficiency rates ranging from 40.28% to 60.94% in Math and 33.33% to 53.42% in Reading across grade levels and years. The school's 8th grade Science proficiency rate was 25.4% in the 2023-2024 school year. Overall, the data indicates that Pleasantview Elementary is the higher-performing school in the Lakefield area, providing valuable insights for parents, educators, and policymakers in the region.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCA-III Math (2025)						MCA-III Reading (2025)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
Pleasantview Elementary	Public	4-5	703 Mill Road E	Lakefield	56150	Jackson County	Jackson County Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 662-6625	170	11	14.8	39.4%	156 (91.8%)	3 (1.8%)	5 (2.9%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	58.6	387^th of 872 public elementary schools	55.6%		56.2	425^th of 881 public elementary schools	51.8%	38	54.9	47.2				51.1	46.5	56.9				51.8	$13,741
Jackson County Central Middle	Public	6-8	703 Mill Road E	Lakefield	56150	Jackson County	Jackson County Central School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 662-6625	241	15	16.0	38.2%	198 (82.2%)	6 (2.5%)	17 (7.1%)	5 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.8%)	57.4	206^th of 519 public middle schools	60.3%		62.1	182^nd of 545 public middle schools	66.6%	24			46.3	47.1	40.3	44.6			46.3	45.7	33.3	42.0	$10,848

Cities Near Lakefield

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Okabena	8.83 mi	1	385^th
Jackson	9.07 mi	3	122^nd
Heron Lake	11.06 mi	1	347^th
Windom	13.69 mi	11	264^th
Brewster	14.99 mi	2	391^st

See the top MN Minnesota cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.