Morris Area Public Schools

Morris Area Public Schools is a two-school district in the Morris area of Minnesota serving 1,092 students: Morris Area Elementary (PK–6, 557 students) and Morris Area Secondary (7–12, 535 students), and the district ranks 41 of 458 Minnesota districts, in the 91st percentile with 5 stars.

Morris Area Secondary is the standout. It ranks 43 of 473 high schools, 91st percentile, 5 stars, and has stayed in the top 10% for three years. Its graduation rate is 98.9% vs. Minnesota’s 84.9%, and its dropout rate is 0.0% vs. 4.2%. All-grade proficiency is above district and state in math (63.5% vs. 55.0% and 44.9%), reading (57.8% vs. 57.3% and 48.6%), and science (41.6% vs. 34.5% and 25.5%). Grade-level results are especially strong in 7th-grade math (67.5% vs. 40.3%), 8th-grade math (69.5% vs. 42.3%), 11th-grade math (52.4% vs. 35.3%), 8th-grade reading (64.2% vs. 50.0%), 10th-grade reading (49.5% vs. 42.5%), science End of Course (57.8% vs. 35.0%), and 8th-grade science (26.3% vs. 16.7%). Science improved from 36.14% to 41.6%.

Morris Area Elementary has a more mixed profile. It ranks 348 of 869 elementary schools, 60th percentile, 3 stars, down from the 77th percentile in 2023–2024. All-grade reading is 56.9%, above the state’s 48.6% and near the district’s 57.3%. Math is 47.7%, above the state’s 44.9% but below the district’s 55.0%, with sharp grade splits: 3rd-grade math is 69.8% vs. 57.9% and 4th-grade math is 60.3% vs. 55.2%, while 5th-grade math is 26.0% vs. 41.9% and 6th-grade math is 35.1% vs. 39.5%. Science is the main concern at 17.1%, below the district’s 34.5% and the state’s 25.5%; 5th-grade science is 17.1% vs. 25.9%. Elementary reading is healthier across grades, including 6th-grade reading at 61.8% vs. 53.4%. The elementary school has a 29.26% free/reduced lunch rate and a 13.4 student-teacher ratio, while the secondary school has 24.67% and 16.3. The main improvement targets are elementary 5th-grade math and science, while the secondary school remains a top performer.