Hinckley-Finlayson School District

The Hinckley-Finlayson School District in Minnesota consists of 4 schools, including 2 elementary schools, 2 high schools, and no middle schools or alternative schools. While the district overall struggles to meet state academic averages, Finlayson Elementary stands out as a high-performing school, with significantly higher proficiency rates in Math, Reading, and Science compared to the district and state. In contrast, the district's high schools, Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary and Empower Learning Center, struggle with low test scores, graduation rates, and high dropout rates.

Finlayson Elementary's success is evident in its 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, higher than the 1-star ratings of the other schools. The school's Math proficiency rate of 46.34% in 2023-2024 is significantly above the district average of 28.19% and the state average of 45.47%. However, the district's racial makeup is more diverse, with Hinckley Elementary and Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary having around 15-16% Native American students and 11-12% students of two or more races, while Finlayson Elementary has a student population that is 90.38% White.

The high schools in the Hinckley-Finlayson School District face significant challenges, with Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary having only 15.69% of 11th graders proficient or better in Math, compared to 34.99% statewide. Empower Learning Center, the district's alternative high school, has an even more concerning 50.0% 4-year graduation rate and a 15.0% dropout rate, the highest in the district. These disparities suggest the district may need to focus on improving the quality and support at the secondary level, particularly for economically disadvantaged students who make up a significant portion of the population at schools like Hinckley Elementary and Empower Learning Center.