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Paynesville Area Schools

At a glance

256^thof 446 Minnesota districts▼ 42

Better than 42% of Minnesota districts

Elementary 1 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

801 Business 23 S
Paynesville, MN 56362-8888·(320) 243-3410·All Minnesota district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 42.6% of districts

Schools

894

Students

Top rankedPaynesville Area Elementary257^th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Minnesota districts →See the top-ranked Minnesota schools →

Summary:

The Paynesville Area Schools district in Minnesota consists of two schools: Paynesville Area Secondary School and Paynesville Area Elementary. While the elementary school has consistently ranked among the top 25% of Minnesota elementary schools, the secondary school has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking over the past three years.

Paynesville Area Elementary appears to be the standout school in the district, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and outperforming the district and state averages in both math and reading proficiency across all grade levels. In contrast, the secondary school has struggled, with math proficiency rates ranging from 5.08% in 8th grade to 33.33% in 6th and 7th grades, and reading proficiency rates ranging from 22.03% in 8th grade to 54.67% in 6th grade. The secondary school's four-year graduation rate was 84.2%, with a 4.4% dropout rate in 2023-2024.

The stark contrast in performance between the elementary and secondary schools may suggest potential challenges in the transition from elementary to secondary education for Paynesville Area students. The district may benefit from investigating the underlying factors contributing to this gap and implementing strategies to address the challenges faced by the secondary school, ensuring a smoother academic progression for all students.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCA-III Math (2025)								MCA-III Reading (2025)								Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
Paynesville Area Secondary School	Public	6-12	795 Business 23 S	Paynesville	56362	Stearns County	Paynesville Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(320) 243-3761	465	32	14.5	28.4%	424 (91.2%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	27.4	349^th of 450 public high schools	22.4%		37.2	323^rd of 480 public high schools	32.7%	26				33.3	33.3	5.1	15.3	22.4				54.7	42.1	22.0	36.1	39.7	$12,502
Paynesville Area Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 W Mill St	Paynesville	56362	Stearns County	Paynesville Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 243-3725	429	30	14.4	29.6%	388 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.8%)	71	257^th of 872 public elementary schools	70.5%		74	215^th of 881 public elementary schools	75.6%	42	62.3	56.6	54.0					57.7	53.6	55.3	71.4					59.6	$11,355

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
West Central Education District	0.16 mi	5
Eden Valley-Watkins School District	9.5 mi	4	56^th
Rocori Public School District	11.7 mi	7	154^th
New London-Spicer School District	11.94 mi	5	51^st
Region 6 and 8-SW/Wc Service Coop	12.34 mi	28

See the top MN Minnesota districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.