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West Central Area South Elementary

Q: Is West Central Area South Elementary a good school?

West Central Area South Elementary ranks 118 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

118^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

West Central Area South Elementary is a small rural school in Kensington, Minnesota — a town of well under 500 people — serving 138 students in grades PK–4 as part of the West Central Area district. About 39.9% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, down from 43.85% two years earlier and among the higher rates in its comparison group. There is roughly one teacher for every 11.1 students. Because the school ends at grade 4, students take state math and reading tests in grades 3 and 4 only; no science results appear, since Minnesota tests science in grade 5.

The headline is a steep two-year turnaround. West Central Area South climbed from the 34th percentile of Minnesota schools in 2023–24 to the 86th percentile in 2025–26 — the highest 2025–26 rank of any school in its comparison set, ahead of larger schools in Alexandria Public School District and Minnewaska School District. In 2025–26, 68.4% of students were proficient in reading, the top figure in the group and well above the state's 48.6%; math proficiency was 69.2%, second only to Minnewaska Area Elementary's 83.5% and about 24 points above the state's 44.9%. Reading proficiency rose from 36% to 47% to 68% over three years, and the school beats its own district by more than any peer: +21.6 points in math, +12.6 in reading. By contrast, Morris Area Elementary, in the higher-ranked Morris Area Public Schools district, posted 47.7% in math — below both its district and the state.

Some perspective matters. With about 20 students per tested grade, a two-student change moves a grade result by roughly 10 points, so a single year can swing widely. Fourth grade is the standout (77.8% math, 72.2% reading — best in the group at that grade), while third-grade math (61.9%) trails the district's 71.4%. Gains also came as class sizes grew, not shrank, suggesting they aren't an artifact of extra staffing. And the most recent results for low-income and male students date to 2018–19, so the school's effectiveness with its largest equity group can't currently be verified.

138

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,376

Per pupil spending ?

39.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

31 N Central
Kensington, MN 56343-0170

(320) 965-7600

District: West Central Area

Students who attend West Central Area South Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	WCA Middle School
High:	West Central Area Secondary

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Hispanic:

5.1%

African American:

2.2%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare West Central Area South Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 89th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (69% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Minnesota elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg52%

Minnesota avg47%

118^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the West Central Area

68^th of 458West Central Area 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	83.1	118 of 869	86.4%	★★★★☆
2025	59.9	370 of 872	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.2	583 of 881	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.9	348 of 845	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.5	348 of 858	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	352 of 869	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.5	427 of 870	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	490 of 847	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	66.5	315 of 853	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	81.6	94 of 848	88.9%	★★★★☆
2015	70.8	247 of 840	70.6%	★★★★☆
2014	56.4	424 of 826	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.0	551 of 824	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	80.4	84 of 820	89.8%	★★★★☆
2011	61.7	363 of 814	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	82.9	45 of 803	94.4%	★★★★★
2008	67.9	237 of 781	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.5	302 of 777	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.6	288 of 756	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	76.4	110 of 685	83.9%	★★★★☆
2004	44.3	460 of 676	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2003	60.7	292 of 674	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	62.3	310 of 799	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.6	517 of 809	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.6	325 of 787	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	367 of 799	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.6	448 of 787	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.5	580 of 774	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	59.6	296 of 740	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	59.9	373 of 798	53.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	70.3	178 of 710	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	37.0	500 of 714	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	12.7	694 of 730	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	42.2	436 of 712	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	464 of 725	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.5	432 of 710	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.6	346 of 722	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.9	532 of 712	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)75th percentile-11 vs school

Female (2025)61st percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)60th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2019)53rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math69%+24 vs state

Reading68%+20 vs state

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Schools Near West Central Area South 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)					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 (2025)	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	Total
West Central Area South Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	31 N Central	Kensington	56343	Douglas County	West Central Area	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 965-7600	138	12	11.1	39.9%	123 (89.1%)	3 (2.2%)	7 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	83.1	118^th of 869 public elementary schools	86.4%		59.9	370^th of 872 public elementary schools	57.6%	252	65.0	72.2			68.4			61.9	77.8			69.2	$14,376
Brandon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	206 3rd St W	Brandon	56135	Douglas County	Brandon-Evansville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 834-4084	107	12	9.2	40.2%	101 (94.4%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.7%)								(n/a)													$10,500
Glacial Hills Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	610 W 6th St	Starbuck	56381	Pope County	Glacial Hills Elementary	Yes	No	No	Yes	(320) 244-3334	97	11	8.8	51.5%	84 (86.6%)	2 (2.1%)	7 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.1%)	12.5	772^nd of 869 public elementary schools	11.2%		60.2	366^th of 872 public elementary schools	58.0%	406	5.6	38.5			27.9			27.8	23.1			30.2	$14,783
Garfield Elementary	Public	K-5	303 Sanstead St E	Garfield	56332	Douglas County	Alexandria Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 762-3350	117	9	12.8	17.1%	114 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	76	192^nd of 869 public elementary schools	77.9%		88.4	57^th of 872 public elementary schools	93.5%	135	58.6	68.8	55.6		60.3	38.9	38.9	58.6	62.5	83.3		66.7	$12,682
Evansville Elementary	Public	2-5	123 2nd Ave W	Evansville	56326	Douglas County	Brandon-Evansville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 834-4084	163	8	19.4	32.5%	149 (91.4%)	2 (1.2%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.5%)	75.4	202^nd of 869 public elementary schools	76.8%		76.5	188^th of 872 public elementary schools	78.4%	14	55.0	44.0	75.0		55.7	50.0	50.0	67.5	64.0	68.8		66.4	$11,068
Lincoln Elementary	Public	K-5	1120 Lark St	Alexandria	56308	Douglas County	Alexandria Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 762-3320	481	31	15.3	37.8%	402 (83.6%)	10 (2.1%)	33 (6.9%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)	72	243^rd of 869 public elementary schools	72.0%		66.4	305^th of 872 public elementary schools	65.0%	62	50.7	52.0	55.4		52.7	32.4	32.4	63.9	71.0	67.6		67.9	$11,098
Lakes Country Academy - ALEX	Public	K-6	524 Willow Drive	Alexandria	56537	Otter Tail County	Region 4-Lakes Country Service Coop	No	No	No	No	(218) 739-3273	7	3	2.2		3 (42.9%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (28.6%)								(n/a)
Morris Area Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	151 S Columbia Ave	Morris	56267	Stevens County	Morris Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 589-1250	557	41	13.4	29.3%	336 (60.3%)	6 (1.1%)	175 (31.4%)	4 (0.7%)	12 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.3%)	59.7	348^th of 869 public elementary schools	60.0%		64.4	328^th of 872 public elementary schools	62.4%	20	56.5	49.2	58.7	61.8	56.9	17.1	17.1	69.8	60.3	26.0	35.1	47.7	$10,897
Woodland Elementary School	Public	K-5	1410 McKay Ave S Ste #101	Alexandria	56308	Douglas County	Alexandria Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 762-3300	410	37	11.1	41.7%	328 (80.0%)	8 (2.0%)	40 (9.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.1%)	46.7	501^st of 869 public elementary schools	42.3%		48.2	493^rd of 872 public elementary schools	43.5%	8	35.4	49.2	44.8		43.1	25.9	25.9	46.9	58.5	35.6		47.3	$11,322
Minnewaska Area Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	409 4th St SE	Glenwood	56334	Pope County	Minnewaska School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 634-4567	317	29	10.7	33.1%	301 (95.0%)	2 (0.6%)	7 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)								(n/a)	63.5				63.5			83.5				83.5	$12,167

Frequently Asked Questions about West Central Area South Elementary

What is the racial makeup of West Central Area South Elementary?

Students at West Central Area South Elementary are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of West Central Area South Elementary attend?

Students who attend West Central Area South Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : WCA Middle School
High : West Central Area Secondary

How many students attend West Central Area South Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 138 students attended West Central Area South Elementary.

What district is West Central Area South Elementary in?

West Central Area

Is West Central Area South Elementary a good school?

West Central Area South Elementary ranks 118^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate West Central Area South Elementary!

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

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

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 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.