Best Public Schools in Lewiston, MN

Lewiston, Minnesota is home to two public schools — Lewiston-Altura Elementary (PK–5, 254 students) and Lewiston-Altura Secondary (6–12, 337 students) — both part of the Lewiston-Altura Public School District, which enrolls 591 students total and ranks 26th of 458 Minnesota districts, in the 94th percentile with 5 stars.

Lewiston-Altura Elementary is the standout: it ranks 71st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools (92nd percentile, 5 stars) and has climbed steadily from 4 stars three years ago. Its all-grades proficiency is 79.2% in math, 61.4% in reading, and 65.4% in science, versus state averages of 44.9%, 48.6%, and 25.5% — meaning math is more than 34 points above the state and science nearly 40 points above. Lewiston-Altura Secondary is above average and improving too, rising from 2 stars to 4 stars and ranking 117th of 473 high schools (75th percentile). Its graduation rate is 96.4% versus the state's 84.9%, and its dropout rate is 1.7% versus 4.2%.

Academically, the elementary school outperforms the secondary school in every all-grades subject, with the widest gap in science (65.4% vs 36.0%) and math (79.2% vs 48.3%); reading is closer at 61.4% vs 58.3%. The secondary school's clearest weak spot is 11th-grade math at 29.8%, below the state's 35.3%, even though grades 7–8 score 60.0% and 64.9%. Both schools posted year-over-year gains in reading, and elementary science jumped nearly 35 points. Elementary also has a lower student-teacher ratio (8.6 vs 10.6) despite a higher free/reduced-lunch share (38.98% vs 32.64%).