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Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-4

698^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary is a public school serving about 450 students in grades PK–4 in Wadena, a small community in central Minnesota, and is part of the Wadena-Deer Creek School District.

The school's current standing is low and has been slipping for years. In 2025–2026 it ranked 698th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools — the 20th percentile, 1 star, and the lowest percentile in its displayed history, down from the 55th percentile in 2015–2016. Reading is the most urgent concern: all-grade reading proficiency is 27.7%, far below the state's 48.6% and the district's 36.6%. Reading has fallen from 44.51% in 2022–2023, and the gap to the state widened from about 5 points to about 21 points. Math is comparatively stronger at 41.6% — above the district average (37.2%) but now below the state (44.9%).

Among nearby schools, Wadena-Deer Creek is the lowest-ranked. New York Mills Elementary sits in the 79th percentile with 67.2% math and 59.3% reading, and Henning Elementary is in the 67th percentile with 57.1% in both subjects. Verndale Elementary (47th percentile), Staples-Motley Elementary (34th), Sebeka Elementary (57th), and Bertha Elementary (60th) all rank higher too. Demographics and class size don't straightforwardly explain the gap: Wadena's free/reduced-lunch rate (52.22%) is mid-range and its student-teacher ratio (11.1) is the second-lowest locally, yet Sebeka has higher poverty and smaller classes and much stronger results. Every reported student group at Wadena — female, male, special education, and low-income — ranks in the bottom quartile, and all declined from the prior year, suggesting broad instructional or curriculum challenges rather than an isolated group issue.

450

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,842

Per pupil spending ?

52.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

82.1%

Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (2025-26)

Exemptions: 15.4% (MMR)

215 Colfax Ave SW
Wadena, MN 56482-0151

(218) 632-2400

District: Wadena-Deer Creek School District

Students who attend Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Wadena-Deer Creek 5th And 6th Grade
High:	Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.0%

Two or more races:

5.1%

Hispanic:

4.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2016 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (35% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg37%

Minnesota avg47%

698^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 35 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

291^st of 458Wadena-Deer Creek School District among Minnesota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	23.5	698 of 869	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.1	634 of 872	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	650 of 881	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.5	535 of 845	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.1	631 of 858	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.0	662 of 869	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.8	496 of 870	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.6	622 of 847	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	54.0	462 of 853	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	60.4	384 of 848	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	58.1	417 of 840	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.8	293 of 826	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.0	373 of 824	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	51.0	512 of 820	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.9	608 of 814	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.7	629 of 803	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	58.4	381 of 781	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.2	343 of 777	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.0	308 of 756	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.5	345 of 685	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	42.2	478 of 676	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	45.5	452 of 674	32.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	17.4	673 of 790	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.5	618 of 799	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	665 of 809	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.4	520 of 787	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	591 of 799	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.8	615 of 783	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.9	412 of 787	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.7	574 of 774	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	24.3	619 of 764	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.2	463 of 764	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.2	539 of 793	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.1	387 of 774	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.0	387 of 663	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.4	454 of 683	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.5	259 of 740	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.3	439 of 728	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	27.0	624 of 807	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.1	579 of 812	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.0	546 of 826	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.2	480 of 799	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	600 of 808	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.1	610 of 784	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.2	536 of 798	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.1	591 of 779	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	23.4	484 of 579	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.7	369 of 562	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.1	523 of 572	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	37.9	343 of 524	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.9	279 of 500	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.3	334 of 417	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.2	323 of 515	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	5.6	700 of 710	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.6	695 of 714	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	702 of 730	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	615 of 712	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	680 of 725	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.1	694 of 710	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.7	598 of 722	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.0	692 of 712	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2026)23rd percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)16th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)15th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)1st percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math42%-3 vs state

Reading28%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)					Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	215 Colfax Ave SW	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Wadena-Deer Creek School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 632-2400	450	40	11.1	52.2%	387 (86.0%)	9 (2.0%)	21 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	23.5	698^th of 869 public elementary schools	19.7%		31.1	634^th of 872 public elementary schools	27.3%	64	23.1	31.8			27.7			41.0	42.0			41.6	82.1%	15.4%	$12,842
Verndale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 445-5184	253	21	11.8	41.5%	239 (94.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	49.8	462^nd of 869 public elementary schools	46.8%		47.4	501^st of 872 public elementary schools	42.5%	39	57.1	35.0	62.5	53.8	51.6	18.8	18.8	73.8	39.0	31.3	17.9	41.6	83.9%	0%	$10,713
New York Mills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	209 N Hayes Ave	New York Mills	56567	Otter Tail County	New York Mills Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 385-4201	460	29	15.7	43.9%	422 (91.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	76.9	181^st of 869 public elementary schools	79.2%		79.9	149^th of 872 public elementary schools	82.9%	32	45.3	53.3	60.3	75.3	59.3	28.8	28.8	64.6	75.0	67.1	63.0	67.2	83.3%	0%	$9,458
Bertha Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	293	16	17.9	51.2%	279 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	59.7	347^th of 869 public elementary schools	60.1%		57.4	400^th of 872 public elementary schools	54.1%	53	41.9	61.9	52.4	37.5	47.9	28.6	28.6	69.8	69.0	47.6	30.0	55.5	89.2%	5.4%	$12,003
Sebeka Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	200 1st St NW	Sebeka	56477	Wadena County	Sebeka Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 837-5101	218	22	9.9	61.9%	205 (94.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.1%)	58.3	371^st of 869 public elementary schools	57.3%		59.4	378^th of 872 public elementary schools	56.7%	7	50.0	72.4	45.2	44.4	52.3	29.0	29.0	78.8	75.9	19.4	27.8	49.6	75.9%	20.7%	$12,778
Henning Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	500 School Ave	Henning	56551	Otter Tail County	Henning Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 583-2927	210	16	13.4	50.5%	198 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	66.7	286^th of 869 public elementary schools	67.1%		75.7	200^th of 872 public elementary schools	77.1%	86	65.6	50.0	58.1	53.1	57.1	19.4	19.4	71.9	79.2	48.4	34.4	57.1	≥ 95%	0%	$11,751
Staples-Motley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1025 4th St NE	Staples	56479	Todd County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 894-5400	308	24	13.1	55.8%	282 (91.6%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	38.8	573^rd of 869 public elementary schools	34.1%		33.8	609^th of 872 public elementary schools	30.2%	36	35.4	33.3			34.4			60.0	43.9			52.5	83.9%	16.1%	$12,285

Frequently Asked Questions about Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary?

Students at Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary are 86% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 2% American Indian, 2% African American.

What district is Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary in?

Wadena-Deer Creek School District

How many students attend Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 450 students attended Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary.

Is Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary a good school?

Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.7% of Minnesota elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wadena-Deer Creek 5th And 6th Grade
High : Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

Rate Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary!

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

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.