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Banfield Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-4

713^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Banfield Elementary is a PK–4 neighborhood school at 301 17th St SW in Austin, MN, serving 574 students as the largest of the four elementary schools in the Austin Public School District.

Banfield currently ranks in the bottom fifth of Minnesota elementary schools — 18th percentile, 1 star — which is roughly in line with its district's own standing (388th of 458 Minnesota districts). Math proficiency (34.0%) sits about 7 points above the district's 26.8% but well below the state's 44.9%, while reading (30.7%) falls below both the district (33.7%) and the state (48.6%). Reading is the larger relative weakness. The most striking pattern is grade-level: Banfield's 3rd graders perform essentially at district norms in both subjects, while its 4th graders trail the district by roughly 10 points in math and reading, with 4th-grade reading at 23.3% — the lowest mark at the school. English learners are a clear bright spot, ranking in the 55th percentile (3 stars) for a third consecutive year.

Compared with nearby schools, Banfield outperforms its closest neighbor, Sumner Elementary (0.82 miles away), in both subjects, but trails Southgate Elementary by 12.5 points in math and 14.2 points in reading, and also trails Neveln Elementary, which posts higher scores despite a higher poverty rate and a much lower student–teacher ratio (12.6 vs. Banfield's 14.5, the highest among Austin's elementaries). Poverty alone doesn't explain results: Halverson Elementary in the Albert Lea Public School District posts 48.6% math and 39.7% reading with 69.72% free/reduced lunch, and Blooming Prairie Elementary reaches 70.2% math and 49.2% reading. Banfield's free/reduced lunch rate is 61.15%, down from 66.74%. Longer term, the school has slid from the 50th percentile in 2017–18 to 18th in 2025–26, though the decline has flattened over the past two years.

574

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,687

Per pupil spending ?

61.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

≥ 98%

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

301 17th St SW
Austin, MN 55912-1698

(507) 460-1200

District: Austin Public School District

Students who attend Banfield Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ellis Middle
	I.J. Holton Intermediate School
High:	Austin Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.9%

Hispanic:

25.8%

Asian:

18.1%

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Compare Banfield Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 27th percentile in 2016 → 18th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (32% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg30%

Minnesota avg47%

713^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Austin Public School District

388^th of 458Austin Public 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	21.6	713 of 869	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.3	733 of 872	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.1	653 of 881	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.7	642 of 845	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.0	622 of 858	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.8	588 of 869	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	554 of 870	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.2	420 of 847	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	40.0	601 of 853	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.4	623 of 848	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	25.2	690 of 840	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	44.8	553 of 826	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.7	553 of 824	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.1	630 of 820	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.6	626 of 814	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	47.7	551 of 803	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.7	284 of 434	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.4	364 of 781	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.2	309 of 777	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	74.5	143 of 756	81.1%	★★★★☆
2005	56.3	363 of 685	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	64.5	245 of 676	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2003	54.2	373 of 674	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	49.7	144 of 310	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.4	70 of 283	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	69.8	70 of 266	73.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	23.1	113 of 143	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.1	104 of 140	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.0	105 of 154	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	137 of 305	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.1	127 of 303	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	132 of 303	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	27.4	234 of 276	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.9	118 of 256	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	42 of 175	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	69.0	37 of 239	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	41 of 242	83.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	621 of 790	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.4	683 of 799	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	607 of 809	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.0	603 of 787	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.7	545 of 799	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.7	567 of 783	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.3	475 of 787	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.5	303 of 774	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	27.7	205 of 256	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.9	177 of 238	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.3	145 of 249	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	97 of 214	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.0	117 of 209	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.0	62 of 153	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.8	35 of 219	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	85.0	14 of 220	93.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	18.1	665 of 764	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.4	627 of 764	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.0	568 of 793	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.8	604 of 774	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.4	439 of 663	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.8	421 of 683	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.9	428 of 740	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.5	188 of 728	74.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	16.8	695 of 807	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.2	674 of 812	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.1	630 of 826	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	631 of 799	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	618 of 808	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.4	520 of 784	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.8	574 of 798	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.9	483 of 779	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	24.6	477 of 579	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	445 of 562	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	486 of 572	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.7	481 of 524	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	426 of 500	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.0	327 of 417	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.2	322 of 515	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	21.7	615 of 710	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.5	696 of 714	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	614 of 730	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	652 of 712	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.1	582 of 725	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.6	501 of 710	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.8	506 of 722	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.4	385 of 712	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)55th percentile+37 vs school

African American (2024)54th percentile+28 vs school

Female (2026)21st percentile+3 vs school

Asian (2026)21st percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)20th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)18th percentile~ school

Male (2026)14th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math34%-11 vs state

Reading31%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Banfield 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
Banfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	301 17th St SW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 460-1200	574	40	14.5	61.1%	223 (38.9%)	52 (9.1%)	148 (25.8%)	104 (18.1%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (4.2%)	21 (3.7%)	21.6	713^th of 869 public elementary schools	18.0%		17.3	733^rd of 872 public elementary schools	15.9%	20	37.6	23.3			30.7			40.9	26.5			34.0	≥ 98%		$13,687
Sumner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	805 8th Ave NW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 460-1100	387	29	13.4	72.1%	86 (22.2%)	54 (14.0%)	168 (43.4%)	44 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	18 (4.7%)	13	769^th of 869 public elementary schools	11.5%		8.3	807^th of 872 public elementary schools	7.5%	38	29.1	14.5			22.3			36.7	17.4			27.7	95.7%	2.9%	$12,892
Southgate Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1601 19th Ave SW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 460-1300	539	40	13.6	55.7%	242 (44.9%)	26 (4.8%)	160 (29.7%)	76 (14.1%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.2%)	22 (4.1%)	44.2	525^th of 869 public elementary schools	39.6%		29.9	648^th of 872 public elementary schools	25.7%	123	43.2	46.0			44.9			44.8	47.6			46.5	97.5%	1.2%	$13,247
Neveln Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1918 E Oakland Ave	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 460-1600	381	30	12.6	63.0%	131 (34.4%)	28 (7.3%)	146 (38.3%)	45 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	15 (3.9%)	33.3	619^th of 869 public elementary schools	28.8%		27.3	669^th of 872 public elementary schools	23.3%	50	31.7	40.3			36.2			38.7	49.3			44.2	≥ 98%		$13,419
Lyle Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	700 2nd Street	Lyle	55953	Mower County	Lyle Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 325-2201	125	10	12.1	55.2%	99 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	16	744^th of 869 public elementary schools	14.4%		20	713^th of 872 public elementary schools	18.2%	31	21.1	31.6			26.3			42.1	15.8			28.9	94.7%	5.3%	$15,341
Blooming Prairie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	123 2nd St NW	Blooming Prairie	55917	Steele County	Blooming Prairie Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 583-4426	341	29	11.5	34.3%	318 (93.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	69.1	260^th of 869 public elementary schools	70.1%		79.9	151^st of 872 public elementary schools	82.7%	109	45.6	52.3			49.2			78.6	63.1			70.2	82.9%	10%	$10,091
Southland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 NW Water St	Adams	55909	Mower County	Southland Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 582-3283	223	20	11.1	44.4%	188 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (11.7%)	4 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	58.5	367^th of 869 public elementary schools	57.8%		50.1	475^th of 872 public elementary schools	45.5%	108	40.5	65.5	42.5		48.1	27.5	27.5	59.5	72.4	42.5		56.6	92.9%	0%	$13,315
Glenville Emmons Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	240 2nd Ave SW	Glenville	56036	Freeborn County	Glenville-Emmons School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 448-3334	132	12	11.1	46.2%	112 (84.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.0%)	26.4	671^st of 869 public elementary schools	22.8%		34.8	600^th of 872 public elementary schools	31.2%	71	22.2	53.8	30.4	35.7	33.8	17.4	17.4	38.9	61.5	17.4	6.7	29.0			$12,553
Hayfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9 6th Ave SE	Hayfield	55940	Dodge County	Hayfield Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 671-1557	302	29	10.2	40.1%	268 (88.7%)	4 (1.3%)	23 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	40.1	562^nd of 869 public elementary schools	35.3%		31.8	627^th of 872 public elementary schools	28.1%	65	36.6	39.6	34.6		36.9	15.4	15.4	56.1	68.8	30.8		51.1	93.6%	6.4%	$3,193
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 E Hawthorne	Albert Lea	56007	Freeborn County	Albert Lea Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 379-4960	400	29	13.7	63.0%	195 (48.8%)	19 (4.8%)	81 (20.3%)	79 (19.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.3%)	23.9	690^th of 869 public elementary schools	20.6%		19.2	717^th of 872 public elementary schools	17.8%	27	46.2	35.1	27.5		36.3	3.9	3.9	46.2	36.8	6.1		30.4	87.7%	1.8%	$12,375

Frequently Asked Questions about Banfield Elementary

What district is Banfield Elementary in?

Austin Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Banfield Elementary?

Students at Banfield Elementary are 39% White, 26% Hispanic, 18% Asian, 9% African American, 4% Pacific Islander, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Banfield Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 574 students attended Banfield Elementary.

Is Banfield Elementary a good school?

Banfield Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.0% of Minnesota elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Banfield Elementary attend?

Students who attend Banfield Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ellis Middle
Middle : I.J. Holton Intermediate School
High : Austin Senior High

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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.