Schools in Perham, MN

Perham, Minnesota has four schools serving PK–12 students in the Perham-Dent Public School District: one elementary, one middle, and two high schools, with total enrollment of 1,671. The district is rated 74th out of 458 schools (84th percentile, 4 stars), but results vary. Heart of The Lake Elementary (578, PK–4), Perham Senior High (529, 9–12), Prairie Wind Middle (526, 5–8), and Perham Area Learning Center (38, 9–12) are the city’s schools; the learning center is by far the smallest, about 2.3% of enrollment.

Perham Senior High is the strongest performer, ranking 89th percentile with 4 stars in each of the last three reported years. Its 2025–26 science proficiency was 43.4%, above district (27.7%) and state (25.5%), and reading was 57.0%. Its graduation rate was 88.3%, though its dropout rate was 6.2%, above district (5.0%) and state (4.2%). Heart of The Lake Elementary is the most improved: rank percentile rose 49 to 56 to 63, and stars improved from 2 to 3. Its math proficiency was 63.1%, well above district and state, while reading lagged at 48.2%. Prairie Wind Middle remains a 4-star school at 72nd percentile; reading was 53.9%, but science was only 19.5%. Perham Area Learning Center has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (57.89%) and lowest student/teacher ratio (8.0); its 2024–25 graduation rate was 73.0%, but dropout was 0.0%. Its 2025–26 scores are suppressed for privacy.

Subject strengths differ sharply: Heart of The Lake Elementary is stronger in math than reading, Prairie Wind Middle is stronger in reading than science, and Perham Senior High is strong in reading and science but more modest in math. Science shows the biggest contrast, from Perham Senior High’s 43.4% to Prairie Wind Middle’s 19.5%. Changes are mixed: the elementary improved, the high school improved math but saw reading and science decline, and the middle school was roughly flat to slightly down. Parents should note Perham Senior High’s dropout rate is above district and state, while the Perham Area Learning Center serves a very different, much smaller population and should be compared cautiously. The district’s 84th percentile rating does not describe every school equally.