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Nerstrand Charter School

Q: Is Nerstrand Charter School a good school?

Nerstrand Charter School ranks 207 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Nerstrand Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 102 students attended Nerstrand Charter School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Nerstrand Charter School?

Students at Nerstrand Charter School are 86% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

Public, Charter Grades K-5

207^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Nerstrand Charter School is a K–5 elementary charter school in the small Greater Minnesota community of Nerstrand, serving 102 students and operating as its own one-school district. In 2025–2026 it ranked 207th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools — the 76th percentile — and earned 4 stars. That is the strongest result in its recent history, after pandemic-era dips to the 40th percentile in 2021–2022 and the 49th percentile in 2022–2023, followed by 71st, 65th, and 76th percentile in the three years since.

Proficiency is well above state averages in every subject: 63.3% in math (state 44.9%), 61.7% in reading (48.6%), and 30.0% in science (25.5%). Those math and reading results are close to Northfield's high-performing elementaries — Greenvale Park Elementary, Spring Creek Elementary, and Bridgewater Elementary — and far above most other nearby schools, including Medford Elementary (30.5% math), Randolph Elementary (42.2%), Lincoln Elementary (23.8%), and Jefferson Elementary (21.7%). This is achieved with a moderate-low poverty rate (23.53% free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025), not the lowest in the area.

Third grade is a standout: 77.3% met math standards and 68.2% met reading standards, above every nearby comparison school. Fourth and fifth grade results stay above state averages, but Northfield schools are generally stronger in the upper grades, and science is the relative weak spot at 30.0%, below Northfield's 34.9–38.5%. Among student groups, male students ranked in the 88th percentile (4 stars) in 2025–2026, up sharply from the 8th percentile in 2021–2022. With only 102 students, year-to-year swings are expected, so results are best read with that small size in mind.

102

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,869

Per pupil spending ?

23.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

81.8%

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

Exemptions: 9.1% (MMR)

205 S 2nd St
Nerstrand, MN 55053-4404

(507) 333-6850

District: Nerstrand Charter School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.3%

Two or more races:

4.9%

African American:

3.9%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Nerstrand Charter School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 68th percentile in 2016 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (60% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Minnesota elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg60%

Minnesota avg43%

207^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

67^th of 458Nerstrand Charter School 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	75.0	207 of 869	76.2%	★★★★☆
2025	66.8	302 of 872	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.7	258 of 881	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	53.8	432 of 845	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	512 of 858	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	71.9	231 of 869	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	44.6	575 of 870	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.7	537 of 847	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.0	552 of 853	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	68.8	273 of 848	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.4	445 of 840	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	65.5	313 of 826	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.9	253 of 824	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.3	226 of 820	72.4%	★★★★☆
2011	57.0	426 of 814	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.8	449 of 803	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.7	404 of 781	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	65.3	266 of 777	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.0	384 of 756	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	66.5	218 of 685	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	57.1	333 of 676	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2003	66.7	220 of 674	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	277 of 790	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.5	313 of 799	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.1	511 of 787	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.8	442 of 774	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	1.7	739 of 740	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	64.7	238 of 728	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	82.6	99 of 807	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	68.4	257 of 812	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	8.0	742 of 808	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	43.7	519 of 784	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.4	567 of 798	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.3	551 of 779	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.6	325 of 710	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.6	416 of 714	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.2	324 of 730	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.8	561 of 712	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.0	594 of 725	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.6	298 of 710	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.6	495 of 722	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.0	601 of 712	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)88th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2026)65th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile-22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)<1st percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math63%+18 vs state

Reading62%+13 vs state

Science30%+4 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 14, 2019

My daughters both went to this school. It is such a special place. Small, but with high academic expectations. Wonderful progressive school! Close Quote

Schools Near Nerstrand Charter School

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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
Nerstrand Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	205 S 2nd St	Nerstrand	55053	Rice County	Nerstrand Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(507) 333-6850	102	8	13.6	23.5%	88 (86.3%)	4 (3.9%)	3 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.9%)	75	207^th of 869 public elementary schools	76.2%		66.8	302^nd of 872 public elementary schools	65.4%	95	68.2	57.1	60.0		61.7	30.0	30.0	77.3	57.1	50.0		63.3	81.8%	9.1%	$12,869
Spring Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Maple St	Northfield	55057	Rice County	Northfield Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 645-3470	445	37	11.8	29.2%	346 (77.8%)	12 (2.7%)	56 (12.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.8%)	80.8	138^th of 869 public elementary schools	84.1%		81.2	134^th of 872 public elementary schools	84.6%	4	63.5	56.1	71.4		63.3	37.1	37.1	63.5	69.5	67.1		66.8	92.6%	1.5%	$13,516
Bridgewater Elementary	Public	K-5	401 Jefferson Pkwy	Northfield	55057	Rice County	Northfield Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 664-3300	564	40	14.0	25.7%	435 (77.1%)	13 (2.3%)	77 (13.7%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	83.2	115^th of 869 public elementary schools	86.8%		83.2	109^th of 872 public elementary schools	87.5%	6	65.2	58.5	65.0		62.9	38.5	38.5	72.2	71.3	66.0		69.7	88.5%	3.4%	$12,586
Roosevelt Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	925 Parshall St	Faribault	55021	Rice County	Faribault Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 333-6700	473	34	13.8	72.9%	145 (30.7%)	89 (18.8%)	211 (44.6%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.1%)								(n/a)													69.5%	3.4%	$16,544
Big 9 Online Elementary	Public	K-5	201 Orchard St S	Northfield	55057	Rice County	Northfield Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 645-1201	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Greenvale Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Lincoln Pkwy	Northfield	55057	Rice County	Northfield Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 645-3500	488	41	11.7	33.4%	303 (62.1%)	18 (3.7%)	123 (25.2%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.0%)	82	125^th of 869 public elementary schools	85.6%		75	209^th of 872 public elementary schools	76.0%	84	62.2	65.9	65.1		64.3	34.9	34.9	74.5	67.9	57.8		67.2	86.3%	0%	$16,548
Surad Academy Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	128 8th Ave NW	Faribault	55021	Rice County	Surad Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 805-2335	77	9	8.3	—	0 (0.0%)	77 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.7	615^th of 869 public elementary schools	29.2%		22.9	693^rd of 872 public elementary schools	20.5%	78	6.7	15.4	27.3	40.0	20.4	27.3	27.3	53.3	57.1	27.3	40.0	46.0	25.9%	3.7%
Lincoln Elementary	Public	1-5	510 Lincoln Ave NW	Faribault	55021	Rice County	Faribault Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 333-6600	391	32	12.1	75.2%	122 (31.2%)	81 (20.7%)	146 (37.3%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.2%)	18.6	732^nd of 869 public elementary schools	15.8%		10.5	791^st of 872 public elementary schools	9.3%	59	35.0	32.0	36.0		34.3	11.4	11.4	33.1	19.2	16.9		23.8			$15,689
Jefferson Elementary	Public	1-5	922 SW Home Place	Faribault	55021	Rice County	Faribault Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 333-6500	389	31	12.7	82.5%	75 (19.3%)	148 (38.0%)	134 (34.4%)	8 (2.1%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.4%)	14	756^th of 869 public elementary schools	13.0%		8.8	802^nd of 872 public elementary schools	8.0%	46	16.3	26.1	40.3		26.8	13.2	13.2	29.3	18.0	16.9		21.7			$15,329
Randolph Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	29101 Dawson Ave	Randolph	55065	Dakota County	Randolph Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 263-2151	445	33	13.5	17.8%	429 (96.4%)	4 (0.9%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	44	528^th of 869 public elementary schools	39.2%		50.1	474^th of 872 public elementary schools	45.6%	54	43.3	47.1	46.7	45.5	45.6	14.8	14.8	67.8	39.2	34.4	28.8	42.2	86.2%	13.8%	$10,241

Frequently Asked Questions about Nerstrand Charter School

How many students attend Nerstrand Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 102 students attended Nerstrand Charter School.

What is the racial makeup of Nerstrand Charter School?

Students at Nerstrand Charter School are 86% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

What district is Nerstrand Charter School in?

Nerstrand Charter School

Is Nerstrand Charter School a good school?

Nerstrand Charter School ranks 207^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Nerstrand Charter School!

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 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.