Best Public Schools in Rockford, MN

Rockford, Minnesota is a small city northwest of Minneapolis where all public schools belong to the Rockford Public School District, serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across three schools: Rockford Elementary Arts Magnet (PK–4, 599 students), Rockford Middle (5–8, 487 students) and Rockford Secondary (9–12, 479 students) — 1,565 students in total. The district ranks 139 of 458 Minnesota districts, the 70th percentile, with 3 stars, and all three schools rank above the state median.

Rockford Secondary is the standout: it ranks 136 of 473 (71st percentile, 4 stars), up from the 60th percentile two years earlier, and it is the only school here with 4 stars. Its graduation rate is 90.9% versus 84.9% statewide and its dropout rate is 0.8% versus 4.2%, while science proficiency is 45.6%, well above the district's 29.7% and the state's 25.5%. Reading is its weak spot at 40.2%, below both district and state. Rockford Elementary Arts Magnet stands out for math at 55.7%, compared with 38.6% for the district and 44.9% for the state, with reading at 48.7%, essentially even with the state; its rank has climbed from the 43rd percentile (2 stars) to the 56th percentile (3 stars).

Rockford Middle is steady, holding in the 64th–66th percentile range with 3 stars, and reading is a clear strength at 54.1%, above district and state, with 8th grade especially strong (math 53.2% and reading 60.9%). However, its overall math (30.3%) and science (21.5%) trail district and state, and 5th-grade math is low at 16.7% versus the state's 41.9%. Free/reduced lunch falls by school level, from 34.22% at elementary to 29.36% at middle and 24.63% at secondary. Overall, Rockford offers above-average reading and science, an improving elementary school, a strong secondary school, and a middle school with math and science gaps to address.