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Barnesville Elementary School

Q: Is Barnesville Elementary School a good school?

Barnesville Elementary School ranks 201 st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

201^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Barnesville Elementary School is a PK–6 public school with 490 students in Barnesville, MN, part of the Barnesville Public School District in a relatively low-poverty area. In 2025–2026, it ranked 201 of 869 elementary schools in Minnesota (77th percentile, 4 stars), while the district ranked 136 of 458 districts (70th percentile, 4 stars). The school was a top 1–2% school from 2015–2016 through 2018–2019, then settled into the 80th–85th percentile from 2020–2021 to 2024–2025; its 2025–2026 result is a modest dip within that top-quartile band.

Math and reading are clear strengths. All-grades math is 62.1% and reading is 66.1%, both well above the state averages of 44.9% and 48.6%. Among nearby schools, the school is second only to Hawley Elementary in both subjects and ahead of Dorothy Dodds Elementary School, Viking Elementary School, and Rothsay Elementary. However, science is the outlier weakness: 20.0% versus the state’s 25.5% and Hawley’s 43.4%, though it is slightly above the lowest nearby science results. Grade-level results show strong early grades—3rd-grade math (90.5%) and reading (75.3%) lead the peer group—but 6th-grade math falls to 37.8%, below the state (39.5%) and below nearby 6th-grade math results. Reading stays above state at every tested grade.

Beyond academics, the school’s free/reduced lunch rate is 21.43%, much lower than at the two highest-poverty nearby schools, and its student–teacher ratio is 14.6, similar to Hawley Elementary and Rothsay Elementary. These factors do not appear to explain outcomes by themselves. In subgroup effectiveness, low-income students ranked in the 80th percentile and male students in the 82nd, while female students ranked 69th; recent special education rankings were not shown. Overall, the school remains a strong school that outperforms most nearby schools, but families may want to watch science and later-grade math as the main areas for improvement.

490

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,114

Per pupil spending ?

21.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

87.5%

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

Exemptions: 12.5% (MMR)

310 5th St SE
Barnesville, MN 56514-0189

(218) 354-2300

District: Barnesville Public School District

Students who attend Barnesville Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Barnesville High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.1%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Hispanic:

2.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Barnesville Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 99th percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (59% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Minnesota elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg51%

Minnesota avg43%

201^st of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From top 1% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

136^th of 458Barnesville 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	75.4	201 of 869	76.9%	★★★★☆
2025	80.7	142 of 872	83.7%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	165 of 881	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	169 of 845	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	79.5	141 of 858	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.8	134 of 869	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	91.7	17 of 870	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	90.5	19 of 847	97.8%	★★★★★
2017	85.1	63 of 853	92.6%	★★★★★
2016	91.5	11 of 848	98.7%	★★★★★
2015	90.7	12 of 840	98.6%	★★★★★
2014	83.8	65 of 826	92.1%	★★★★★
2013	82.3	83 of 824	89.9%	★★★★★
2012	77.5	124 of 820	84.9%	★★★★☆
2011	61.9	360 of 814	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.2	208 of 803	74.1%	★★★★☆
2009	73.2	100 of 434	77.0%	★★★★☆
2008	75.5	136 of 781	82.6%	★★★★☆
2007	82.6	57 of 777	92.7%	★★★★★
2006	81.0	77 of 756	89.8%	★★★★☆
2005	84.3	32 of 685	95.3%	★★★★★
2004	78.2	92 of 676	86.4%	★★★★☆
2003	69.7	181 of 674	73.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	245 of 790	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	80.6	125 of 799	84.4%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	169 of 809	79.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.6	135 of 787	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.5	103 of 799	87.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	88 of 783	88.8%	★★★★☆
2019	91.2	14 of 787	98.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.3	29 of 774	96.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	70.7	152 of 764	80.1%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	93 of 764	87.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	125 of 793	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	89 of 774	88.5%	★★★★☆
2022	82.2	58 of 663	91.3%	★★★★★
2021	83.0	59 of 683	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	96.1	4 of 740	99.5%	★★★★★
2018	97.4	1 of 728	99.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	78.8	143 of 807	82.3%	★★★★☆
2025	74.8	187 of 812	77.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	187 of 826	77.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	208 of 799	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	73.8	182 of 808	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	71.9	196 of 784	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	88.5	33 of 798	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	89.7	16 of 779	97.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	72.9	106 of 572	81.5%	★★★★☆
2023	56.2	205 of 524	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.9	140 of 500	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	55.5	165 of 417	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	90.3	11 of 515	97.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	56.4	311 of 710	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.7	255 of 714	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.9	273 of 730	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.8	220 of 712	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.4	199 of 725	72.6%	★★★★☆
2021	66.8	201 of 710	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	87.0	29 of 722	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	86.6	33 of 712	95.4%	★★★★★

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)82nd percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2024)81st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)56th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading66%+18 vs state

Math62%+17 vs state

Science20%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Barnesville Elementary 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
Barnesville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	310 5th St SE	Barnesville	56514	Clay County	Barnesville Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 354-2300	490	33	14.6	21.4%	456 (93.1%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	75.4	201^st of 869 public elementary schools	76.9%		80.7	142^nd of 872 public elementary schools	83.7%	59	75.3	64.2	61.3	63.5	66.1	20.0	20.0	90.5	71.6	49.3	37.8	62.1	87.5%	12.5%	$10,114
Rothsay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2040 County Road 52	Rothsay	56579	Wilkin County	Rothsay Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 867-2116	194	13	14.7	30.4%	186 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	63.5	309^th of 869 public elementary schools	64.4%		60.6	362^nd of 872 public elementary schools	58.5%	53	52.8	33.3	66.7	56.0	53.6	19.0	19.0	72.2	53.3	33.3	52.0	55.7	81.5%	0%	$10,888
Hawley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	915 7th St	Hawley	56549	Clay County	Hawley Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 483-3316	579	37	15.5	16.9%	546 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.1%)	89.9	45^th of 869 public elementary schools	94.8%		90.7	40^th of 872 public elementary schools	95.4%	5	58.1	73.5	68.0	76.1	68.4	43.4	43.4	76.4	86.7	66.7	76.1	76.1	97.5%	1.3%	$9,863
Viking Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1 Viking Dr	Pelican Rapids	56572	Otter Tail County	Pelican Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 863-2911	468	41	11.3	57.7%	242 (51.7%)	32 (6.8%)	168 (35.9%)	14 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)	39.8	564^th of 869 public elementary schools	35.1%		57.5	399^th of 872 public elementary schools	54.2%	165	24.2	44.9	38.2	46.3	38.1	16.2	16.2	44.8	58.0	26.5	51.9	45.0	76.1%	8.5%	$11,438
Dorothy Dodds Elementary School	Public	K-4	4400 24th Ave S	Moorhead	56560	Clay County	Moorhead Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 284-1300	625	48	13.1	46.6%	365 (58.4%)	124 (19.8%)	54 (8.6%)	9 (1.4%)	32 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.6%)	55.9	394^th of 869 public elementary schools	54.7%		43.5	534^th of 872 public elementary schools	38.8%	140	50.9	43.8			47.9			62.1	47.1			55.7	90.4%	5.3%	$11,653

Frequently Asked Questions about Barnesville Elementary School

Is Barnesville Elementary School a good school?

Barnesville Elementary School ranks 201^st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Barnesville Elementary School?

Students at Barnesville Elementary School are 93% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Barnesville Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Barnesville Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Barnesville High School

How many students attend Barnesville Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 490 students attended Barnesville Elementary School.

What district is Barnesville Elementary School in?

Barnesville Public School District

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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.