Crookston Public School District

Crookston Public School District in Minnesota serves roughly 1,066 students across two schools: Crookston Secondary, a grade 6–12 high school with 592 students, and Highland Elementary, a K–5 school with 474 students. The district is rated 245th of 458 in the state, at the 47th percentile with 2 stars. Both schools serve economically disadvantaged populations above 50% — free/reduced lunch is 52.03% at Crookston Secondary and 57.81% at Highland Elementary, a district weighted average of roughly 54.6%.

Crookston Secondary has a split profile. Reading was 50% in 2025–26, above the state's 48.6%, and 8th grade reading was 61.7% versus the state's 50%. The graduation rate was 88.8%, above the state's 84.9%. But math was 30.5% versus the state's 44.9%, science was 19% versus 25.5%, and the dropout rate was 7.7% versus 4.2%. Math weakness is concentrated in the upper grades: 8th grade math was 43.8%, slightly above the state's 42.3%, while 11th grade math was 14.9% against the state's 35.3%. Its rank improved from 28th percentile, 1 star to 36th percentile, 2 stars, still short of its 2023–24 level.

Highland Elementary's standout result was 2024–25 math at 54.02%, above the district's 41.4% and the state's 45.21%, paired with a more favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.6 versus 15.2. However, it lost substantial ground in 2025–26: math fell to 43.6% and reading from 52.68% to 45%, with rank dropping from 59th percentile, 3 stars to 39th percentile, 2 stars. Science is the clearest challenge across the district, with both schools below the state in both years. Reading leadership also flipped between the schools by year.