Summary:
Families in the Lac qui Parle Valley area of Minnesota can choose between two elementary schools: Appleton-Milan Elementary and Madison-Marietta-Nassau Elementary, both serving grades PK–4 within Lac qui Parle Valley Schools. Together they enroll 381 students. Appleton-Milan is the larger school with 230 students, about 60% of the total, while Madison-Marietta-Nassau enrolls 151, about 40%.
Madison-Marietta-Nassau Elementary is the standout of the pair. It ranked 381 of 869 schools statewide in 2025–2026, placing in the 56th percentile with 3 stars, up from the 39th percentile and 2 stars in 2023–2024 and the 49th percentile in 2024–2025. Its test scores are strong: 56.9% of students were proficient in math, well above the district's 33.5% and the state's 44.9%, and 50.0% were proficient in reading, above the district's 34.7% and the state's 48.6%. Third grade is especially impressive, with 73.3% proficient in math and 63.3% in reading — more than 15 percentage points above state averages in both subjects.
Appleton-Milan Elementary is the lower performer. It ranked 688 of 869, in the 21st percentile with 1 star, and has held 1 star for three years. Math is its relative strength at 40.5% proficient, above the district's 33.5% but below the state's 44.9%, while reading is a clear weakness at 30.4%, below both the district's 34.7% and the state's 48.6%. Fourth grade is a shared challenge: even Madison-Marietta-Nassau's 4th grade math (39.3%) and reading (35.7%) fall below state averages. Appleton-Milan also serves a much higher share of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, 61.74% versus 35.76%, and has a higher student-to-teacher ratio, 13.2 versus 11.6.
Thank you for your feedback!