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North Shore Community School

Q: Is North Shore Community School a good school?

North Shore Community School ranks 284 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-6

284^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

North Shore Community School is a PK–6 school in Duluth, MN, serving 355 students as its own single-school district, with a student-teacher ratio of 13.9 and a free/reduced lunch rate of 29.86% in 2024–2025. It ranks 120th of 458 Minnesota districts (74th percentile, 4 stars), while its 2025–2026 school rank is 284th of 869 schools (67th percentile, 3 stars). The school has generally improved over the past decade, rising from the 51st percentile in 2016–2017 to the mid-70s in 2022–2023 and 2024–2025, before slipping to 67th in 2025–2026 — a notable drop from 4 stars to 3 stars.

In 2025–2026, North Shore Community School was above the state average in math (56.6% vs. 44.9%) and reading (61.1% vs. 48.6%), but several nearby Duluth Public School District schools did better in both, including Lakewood Elementary, Lester Park Elementary, Homecroft Elementary, and Congdon Elementary. Science is the clear weak spot: only 12% of students were proficient versus 25.5% statewide, the lowest among all listed nearby schools, including North Star Academy and Myers-Wilkins Elementary. Science proficiency fell from 53.57% in 2022–2023 to 49.06%, then 32.0%, then 12.0% — a large, consistent four-year decline. Grade-level results are uneven: 6th-grade reading (78.6% vs. 53.4% statewide) and math (58.1% vs. 39.5%) were very strong, while 5th-grade math (39.2% vs. 41.9%) and 5th-grade science were below state.

A major strength is the school's low socioeconomic status subgroup, which ranked in the 90th percentile (4 stars) in 2025–2026 and the 95th and 93rd percentiles (5 stars) in the two prior years — unusually strong results for students from lower-income families. Female students (75th percentile, 4 stars) also outpaced male students (53rd percentile, 3 stars), and special education rose from the 19th percentile in 2022–2023 to the 60th percentile in 2024–2025. Overall, North Shore is a solidly above-state school in math and reading with an exceptional record for low-income students; addressing 5th-grade science and math could move it back toward its earlier 4-star, mid-70s percentile range.

355

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,532

Per pupil spending ?

29.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5926 Ryan Rd
Duluth, MN 55804-9672

(218) 525-0663

District: North Shore Community School

Racial breakdown:

White:

98.3%

Two or more races:

1.1%

Hispanic:

0.6%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare North Shore Community School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 77th percentile in 2025 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (54% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Above the Minnesota median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 77th-percentile peak (2025) to 67th (2026)

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg54%

Minnesota avg43%

284^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 458North Shore Community 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	67.0	284 of 869	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.5	201 of 872	76.9%	★★★★☆
2024	73.1	225 of 881	74.5%	★★★★☆
2023	75.0	204 of 845	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	67.8	283 of 858	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.1	333 of 869	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.4	264 of 870	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	284 of 847	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.0	419 of 853	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.0	333 of 848	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.5	309 of 840	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.3	425 of 826	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.0	387 of 824	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	51.8	498 of 820	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.5	535 of 814	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	61.4	360 of 803	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.0	269 of 781	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.1	428 of 777	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	66.8	237 of 756	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	78.3	88 of 685	87.2%	★★★★☆
2004	41.5	481 of 676	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	69.6	182 of 674	73.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	72.9	195 of 790	75.3%	★★★★☆
2025	78.5	143 of 799	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	73.1	195 of 809	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.2	126 of 787	84.0%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	191 of 799	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	63.4	300 of 783	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.1	269 of 787	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.7	362 of 774	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	80.0	80 of 764	89.5%	★★★★☆
2025	88.6	37 of 764	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	86.3	52 of 793	93.4%	★★★★★
2023	82.9	67 of 774	91.3%	★★★★★
2022	75.7	107 of 663	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	64.7	208 of 683	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.1	326 of 740	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.0	191 of 728	73.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.2	376 of 807	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.0	271 of 812	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.1	280 of 826	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	314 of 799	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.2	356 of 808	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.0	352 of 784	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.1	259 of 798	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.8	215 of 779	72.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	54.9	224 of 562	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.9	295 of 572	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.8	422 of 524	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.0	402 of 417	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	393 of 710	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.2	319 of 714	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	333 of 730	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.7	293 of 712	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.1	420 of 725	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.5	446 of 710	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.9	442 of 722	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	444 of 712	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile+22 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)60th percentile-17 vs school

Male (2026)53rd percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading61%+13 vs state

Math57%+12 vs state

Science12%-14 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, October 16, 2017

This school has some innovative curriculum ideas and some good teachers that keep it out of the 1-star category. It is a close-knit community that suffers from significant differences among staff going back many years. Leadership has been drawn into these struggles in detrimental ways and there has been significant turmoil related to leadership. Struggles are so sginifcant that the school board has been unable to deal effectively with them and has turned to outside consultants and lawyers to help make determinations and plans to rectify the situation with staff and leadership. The school used to be known for small classes, but caps have been removed in most grades, allowing class size averages to be the same as in Duluth, where many think the classes are too big. Growth in enrollment of students from Duluth has also been an issue for the school as it tries to hold onto its view of itself as as a school serving the community of Duluth Township. The school successfully lobbied for a change in state law that allows it to give geographic preference to Duluth Township families, which is completely opposite of one of the underlying ideas behind MN Charter School law that charter schools serve all interested students regardless of geogrpahic location. The school's MCA scores have declined in recent years. I advise due diligence looking into this school very closely before choosing it. Close Quote

Schools Near North Shore Community 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 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 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
North Shore Community School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	5926 Ryan Rd	Duluth	55804	St. Louis County	North Shore Community School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 525-0663	355	26	13.9	29.9%	349 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	67	284^th of 869 public elementary schools	67.3%		75.5	201^st of 872 public elementary schools	76.9%	83	51.7	54.7	64.0	78.6			61.1	12.0		12.0	63.8	64.2	39.2	58.1			56.6	$11,532
Lakewood Elementary	Public	K-5	5207 N Tischer Rd	Duluth	55804	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8870	254	16	15.9	34.6%	244 (96.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	87.9	59^th of 869 public elementary schools	93.2%		86.7	78^th of 872 public elementary schools	91.1%	19	61.9	77.8	76.1				72.2	41.3		41.3	81.0	80.0	50.0				69.9	$13,114
Lester Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5300 Glenwood St	Duluth	55804	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8875	510	38	13.3	21.2%	453 (88.8%)	8 (1.6%)	13 (2.5%)	7 (1.4%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.7%)	87	70^th of 869 public elementary schools	91.9%		82.2	121^st of 872 public elementary schools	86.1%	51	55.2	68.8	78.4				67.0	50.0		50.0	72.9	76.3	61.4				70.1	$13,351
Congdon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3116 E Superior St	Duluth	55812	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8825	474	28	16.6	20.7%	402 (84.8%)	7 (1.5%)	20 (4.2%)	7 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	33 (7.0%)	82.2	124^th of 869 public elementary schools	85.7%		84.8	95^th of 872 public elementary schools	89.1%	29	49.4	67.1	74.4				64.0	46.7		46.7	70.7	79.2	48.9				65.5	$12,698
Homecroft Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4784 Howard Gnesen Rd	Duluth	55803	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8865	448	25	17.7	26.3%	417 (93.1%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.1%)	85.6	90^th of 869 public elementary schools	89.6%		83.7	105^th of 872 public elementary schools	88.0%	15	60.6	61.7	70.4				64.1	45.1		45.1	81.7	67.9	63.4				70.9	$13,660
Minnehaha Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	421 7th St	Two Harbors	55616	Lake County	Lake Superior Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 834-8221	367	27	13.7	39.2%	346 (94.3%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	60.5	341^st of 869 public elementary schools	60.8%		66.4	307^th of 872 public elementary schools	64.8%	34	56.5	60.0	63.3				59.9	25.4		25.4	58.7	53.3	25.0				45.9	$11,481
Myers-Wilkins Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1027 N 8th Ave E	Duluth	55805	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 336-8860	329	43	7.7	84.8%	119 (36.2%)	58 (17.6%)	17 (5.2%)	2 (0.6%)	36 (10.9%)	1 (0.3%)	96 (29.2%)	29.7	646^th of 869 public elementary schools	25.7%		15.7	747^th of 872 public elementary schools	14.3%	101	37.1	49.4	36.9				41.6	16.9		16.9	38.6	35.9	13.8				30.0	$18,907
North Star Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3301 Technology Dr	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public Schools Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(218) 728-9556	572	55	10.4	50.5%	385 (67.3%)	44 (7.7%)	25 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	96 (16.8%)	34	613^th of 869 public elementary schools	29.5%		39.5	577^th of 872 public elementary schools	33.8%	36	45.1	40.0	44.2	37.3	32.8	41.8	39.9	16.7	14.5	15.5	54.9	45.6	13.0	22.4	26.7	20.6	29.8	$14,617
Lowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 Rice Lake Rd	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 336-8895	312	27	11.3	44.2%	208 (66.7%)	13 (4.2%)	14 (4.5%)	5 (1.6%)	31 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (13.1%)	54.2	412^th of 869 public elementary schools	52.6%		49.5	478^th of 872 public elementary schools	45.2%	66	29.2	50.0	63.0				47.4	25.6		25.6	54.2	52.5	48.9				52.0	$13,604
Lowell Elementary Spanish Immersion	Public	K-5	2000 Rice Lake Rd	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8895	329	18	18.4	14.3%	268 (81.5%)	3 (0.9%)	38 (11.6%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	77.9	168^th of 869 public elementary schools	80.7%		72.6	236^th of 872 public elementary schools	72.9%	68	42.9	65.4	77.8				61.7	55.6		55.6	53.6	73.1	63.0				63.0

Frequently Asked Questions about North Shore Community School

How many students attend North Shore Community School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 355 students attended North Shore Community School.

What is the racial makeup of North Shore Community School?

Students at North Shore Community School are 98% White, 1% Two or more races.

What district is North Shore Community School in?

North Shore Community School

Is North Shore Community School a good school?

North Shore Community School ranks 284^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.