Cedar Mountain Elementary

Cedar Mountain Elementary is a PK–5 school in Franklin, Minnesota, in the Renville County area, serving 171 students — the smallest enrollment among the nearby schools it is typically compared with — while also having the highest share of students from low-income families (54.97% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and the smallest classes (9.6 students per teacher, versus roughly 11 to 14 at neighboring schools).

On the state's 2025–26 rankings, the school placed 471st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools — 46th percentile, 2 stars. That is a sharp change: Cedar Mountain was at the 70th percentile with 4 stars in both 2023–24 and 2024–25, and at 46th percentile this is the lowest mark in the ten years of history available. Math remains the relative strength at 53.7% proficient, above the state's 44.9% and above the Cedar Mountain School District's own average — though it fell 13.4 points in a year. Reading (43.9%) is below the state's 48.6%, with 4th grade (36.7% versus 48.8% statewide) the weakest spot. Science is the standout weakness at 17.4%, below the state (25.5%) and nearly every nearby school — but note that science is tested only in 5th grade, so that figure reflects a single class of about 20–25 students and is the noisiest measure in the file.

Two things stand out for families. First, the school has historically been unusually effective with its lowest-income students: that group ranked at the 90th percentile statewide in 2023–24 and 88th in 2024–25 — higher than the school as a whole — before falling to the 50th percentile this year. Second, the most useful nearby comparison is Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element, 17 miles away in Hector: nearly the same size (186 students), similar poverty rate (50.54%) and staffing, yet it ranks 258th of 869 (70th percentile, 4 stars) and outperforms Cedar Mountain in all three subjects. Relative to its other neighbors, Cedar Mountain sits mid-pack — roughly tied with GFW Elementary School and Sleepy Eye Elementary.