Nerstrand Charter School

Nerstrand, Minnesota, has one school: Nerstrand Charter School, an elementary charter school in the Nerstrand Charter School district serving grades K–5 with 102 students, and no middle, high, or alternative schools in the area summary.

Nerstrand Charter School is a strong performer. In 2025–26, it outperformed Minnesota in math (63.3% proficient vs. 44.9%), reading (61.7% vs. 48.6%), and science (30.0% vs. 25.5%). Its clearest strengths are early grades: 3rd-grade math 77.3% and 3rd-grade reading 68.2%. Math proficiency then falls to 57.1% in 4th grade and 50.0% in 5th, while reading is steadier at 68.2%, 57.1%, and 60.0%. Science is the relative weak spot but still above state; it declined from 35.71% in 2024–25 to 30.0% in 2025–26. Math and reading improved year over year, up 5.85 and 6.38 points, respectively. The school also improved its state rank from 2024–25 to 2025–26 by 95 positions, rising from 3 stars to 4 stars and from 65th to 76th percentile. In 2025–26 it ranked 207th of 869, and its district profile shows 4 stars, 67th of 458, and 85th percentile.

With 102 students, Nerstrand Charter School averages about 17 students per grade, has a 23.53% free/reduced-lunch rate, and a 13.6 student-teacher ratio. Because grade-level cohorts are small, one or two students can shift a grade’s proficiency rate by roughly 5–6 percentage points, so year-to-year changes should be viewed with caution and multi-year trends and state comparisons are more reliable. Overall, it is a small, high-performing elementary school with standout early-grade math and reading results, above-state science performance, and recent momentum in rankings; science is the main area to watch.