Aitkin Public School District

The Aitkin Public School District in Minnesota serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across just two schools — one elementary campus and one secondary campus — with a combined enrollment of about 985 students. As a district, it ranks 25th of 458 in the state, placing it in the 95th percentile with a 5-star rating. Enrollment is split almost evenly between the two schools, and student-teacher ratios are nearly identical, at 13.4 at the elementary level and 13.5 at the secondary level, so staffing is not a major difference between them.

Aitkin Secondary School is the standout. It is a 5-star, 94th-percentile school ranked 30th of 473, up from the 63rd percentile and 3 stars two years ago. Its 2025–2026 proficiency beats the state in all three tested subjects: math 63.0%, reading 55.1%, and science 42.2%. Eighth-grade math (76.5%) and End-of-Course science (56.5%) are far above state averages. One concern stands out: an 8.9% dropout rate, more than double the state's 4.2%, even though its 89.8% graduation rate is above the state's 84.9%. Reading is its only subject below the district average.

Rippleside Elementary is a 4-star, 72nd-percentile school, ranked 247th of 869, after slipping from the 80th percentile the prior year. Math (61.7%) and reading (58.9%) are comfortably above state averages, but science is just 20.0%, below the state's 25.5% and far below the district's 35.3%. Despite a higher free/reduced lunch rate than the secondary school, its reading proficiency is higher. The clearest improvement targets across the district are elementary science, fifth-grade reading, and the secondary dropout rate.