Summary:
The Ely Public School District in northeastern Minnesota contains just one high school, Memorial High School, which serves grades 9–12 at 600 E Harvey St in Ely, MN. With 181 students, a 14.7 student/teacher ratio, and about 26% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, it is a small, close-knit school where district-level high-school figures and school-level figures are essentially the same.
Memorial High School is a standout by default, but its results are genuinely strong on several measures. It earned a 4-star rating in each of the last three reported years and climbed from rank 124 of 480 (74th percentile) in 2023–2024 to rank 67 of 473 (86th percentile) in 2025–2026 — a 57-position jump. Graduation and dropout outcomes are exceptional: a 97.9% graduation rate and a 0.0% dropout rate in 2024–2025, compared with 84.9% and 4.2% statewide. Reading and Science are clear strengths, with 2025–2026 proficiency at 73.5% in Reading (state: 48.6%) and 52.9% in Science (state: 25.5%). Both subjects improved from the prior year, rising about 9.1 and 18.0 percentage points.
Math is the school's conspicuous weak spot. All Grades Math proficiency was 12.5% in 2025–2026, down from 34.48% the year before and well below the district's 42.8% and the state's 44.9%; the 11th-grade result is the same 12.5%, 22.8 points below the state. It is worth noting that district "All Grades" numbers include elementary and middle grades, so they are not a direct high-school comparison, and that with 181 students a single student can shift a rate by roughly half a percentage point or more — making big swings like the Math drop less statistically stable. Overall, families are looking at a small, highly ranked, 4-star high school with excellent graduation outcomes and strong Reading and Science, and one clear area to watch in Math.
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