Summary:
Pelican Rapids Public Schools is a small Minnesota district serving 842 students across two schools — Viking Elementary School (grades PK–6, 468 students) and Pelican Rapids Secondary (grades 7–12, 374 students). The district is ranked 142 of 458 in Minnesota, placing it at the 69th percentile with 3 stars. Because there is no middle school and no alternative school, Pelican Rapids Secondary operates as a combined middle and high school. About 58% of students at each building qualify for free or reduced lunch, and student/teacher ratios are 11.3 at the elementary and 13.3 at the secondary school.
Pelican Rapids Secondary is the district's strongest performer and has improved dramatically, moving from the 39th percentile (2 stars) in 2023–2024 to the 85th percentile (4 stars) in 2025–2026. In 2025–2026 it outperformed the state in math (48% vs 44.9%) and science (29.8% vs 25.5%), while reading (47% vs 48.6%) trailed slightly. Eleventh-grade math (52.5% vs 35.3%) and End of Course science (41.8% vs 35%) are notable strengths. Its 84.7% graduation rate is close to the state's 84.9%, but its 8.3% dropout rate is roughly double Minnesota's 4.2%, and 8th-grade science (15.8% vs 16.7%) is a weak spot.
Viking Elementary has moved the other way, sliding from the 47th percentile to the 35th percentile (2 stars). Its all-grades math (45%) is essentially even with the state (44.9%), but reading (38.1% vs 48.6%) and science (16.2% vs 25.5%) lag well behind. Fourth-grade math (58% vs 55.2%) and sixth-grade math (51.9% vs 39.5%) are bright spots, while third-grade reading (24.2% vs 46.8%), fifth-grade math (26.5% vs 41.9%) and fifth-grade science (16.2% vs 25.9%) are the weakest areas. Similar economic need at both buildings means the performance gap is not explained by reported poverty or by staffing ratios.
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