Red Lake Falls Public School District

Red Lake Falls Public School District in Minnesota is a small district serving roughly 421 students across two schools: J.A. Hughes Elementary for grades PK–6 and Lafayette Secondary for grades 7–12, so families here have one elementary and one secondary option. The district is rated 3 stars and ranks 167th of 458 Minnesota districts, placing it in the 64th percentile. Both schools currently hold 3 stars for 2025–2026.

The two schools have quite different profiles. J.A. Hughes Elementary is the stronger performer in core subjects, with 53.8% proficient in math and 57.7% in reading — both above district and state averages — and standout grade-level results such as 3rd-grade math at 76% and 6th-grade math at 62.2%. Lafayette Secondary sits below the state in math (37.2%) and slightly below in reading (47.3%), but its completion outcomes are exceptional: a 100% graduation rate and a 0% dropout rate, compared with the state's 84.9% and 4.2%.

Science is the clearest shared weakness. Elementary science is 11.8% and secondary science is 18.8%, both below the state's 25.5%, with 5th-grade science at 11.8% and 8th-grade science at just 3.1%. Both schools also slipped from 4 stars to 3 stars and posted year-over-year declines in most subjects, most sharply elementary science, down more than 24 points. Lafayette Secondary's rank was especially volatile, rising to the 88th percentile in 2024–2025 before falling to the 59th percentile in 2025–2026. Because the district is small, these year-to-year swings should be interpreted with caution.