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Independence Elementary

Q: Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Independence Elementary ranks 456 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

456^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Independence Elementary is a 3rd–5th grade school at 701 Minnesota Ave in Big Lake, MN, serving 758 students — one of the largest upper-elementary schools in its area. It is part of the Big Lake Public School District, which ranks 188th of 458 districts statewide (59th percentile).

Academically, the school's profile is split. Math is a genuine strength at 51.1% proficient, above both the district (45.1%) and Minnesota (44.9%). Reading is the opposite: 45.3%, below the district and 3.3 points below the state, and it trails nearby Pinewood Elementary (57.3%) and Little Mountain Elementary (57.6%) in the Monticello Public School District, as well as Swan River Montessori Charter School (63.4%). Science is the most dramatic signal — 22.7%, down from 56.8% four years ago, though nearly identical to the Big Lake district average of 22.0%, suggesting a district-wide issue rather than a school-only one. By grade, math runs 11 points behind the state in 3rd grade (46.9% vs. 57.9%) but 9.1 points ahead in 5th (51.0% vs. 41.9%), pointing to real growth across the 3–5 span.

Independence has drifted from a 4-star, 75th-percentile school in 2018–19 to roughly the middle of the pack (48th percentile, 2 stars in 2025–26). With 758 students across only three grades, it has the highest student-teacher ratio (15.3) among nearby schools, and its free/reduced-lunch rate of 35.4% is close to Pinewood's and Kaleidoscope Charter Elementary School's 35.0% — so its reading and science gaps are not explained by serving a markedly poorer population. Male students have ranked at or below the statewide median for three straight years. Liberty Elementary, the PK–2 feeder about half a mile away, mirrors Independence in enrollment and poverty figures. Overall: strong upper-grade math, a persistent reading weakness, and a science decline worth watching.

758

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,086

Per pupil spending ?

35.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

701 Minnesota Ave
Big Lake, MN 55309-8888

(763) 262-2537

District: Big Lake Public School District

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Big Lake Middle School
High:	Big Lake Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.2%

Hispanic:

8.2%

Two or more races:

6.5%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 67th percentile in 2016 → 48th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg42%

Minnesota avg43%

456^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 33% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

188^th of 458Big Lake 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	50.3	456 of 869	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.3	412 of 872	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.8	457 of 881	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.6	385 of 845	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.1	324 of 858	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.4	312 of 869	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.0	217 of 870	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	68.7	269 of 847	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.5	305 of 853	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.4	280 of 848	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	43.5	574 of 840	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	59.0	397 of 826	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.2	425 of 824	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	68.0	264 of 820	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.1	495 of 814	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.9	432 of 803	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	67.3	245 of 781	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.5	213 of 777	72.6%	★★★★☆
2006	54.8	412 of 756	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	64.9	236 of 685	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	66.2	225 of 676	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2003	59.1	317 of 674	53.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	215 of 315	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	155 of 298	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.5	121 of 310	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.4	74 of 279	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	61.0	91 of 282	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.8	65 of 227	71.4%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.0	64 of 143	55.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	38.6	183 of 305	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.3	210 of 303	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.7	105 of 303	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.4	200 of 276	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	436 of 790	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.1	337 of 799	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.1	403 of 809	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.1	354 of 787	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.0	306 of 799	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.7	362 of 783	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.8	287 of 787	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	287 of 774	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	49.0	113 of 256	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.1	108 of 238	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.6	48 of 249	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	33 of 214	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	89.4	10 of 209	95.2%	★★★★★
2021	91.8	4 of 153	97.4%	★★★★★
2019	72.2	39 of 219	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	76.5	33 of 220	85.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.1	403 of 764	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.2	379 of 764	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.6	313 of 793	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	244 of 774	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.3	145 of 663	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	68.7	178 of 683	73.9%	★★★★☆
2019	79.1	84 of 740	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	79.2	84 of 728	88.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	49.5	433 of 807	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.4	438 of 812	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.3	477 of 826	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.0	377 of 799	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	308 of 808	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.4	270 of 784	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.0	161 of 798	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.5	247 of 779	68.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	81 of 92	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.6	51 of 73	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.7	64 of 81	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.6	54 of 77	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.5	58 of 87	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.5	41 of 96	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.3	32 of 98	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	279 of 579	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.2	168 of 562	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	51.1	257 of 572	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	182 of 524	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.2	166 of 500	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.0	285 of 417	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.1	112 of 515	78.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.7	95 of 463	79.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	32.9	519 of 710	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.2	473 of 714	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.4	536 of 730	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.9	459 of 712	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.6	392 of 725	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.2	404 of 710	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.3	274 of 722	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.2	403 of 712	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)56th percentile+8 vs school

Asian (2026)55th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2026)52nd percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile~ school

Male (2026)46th percentile~ school

Female (2026)45th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)40th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2026)32nd percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-21 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)12th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math51%+6 vs state

Reading45%-3 vs state

Science23%-3 vs state

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Schools Near Independence 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
Independence Elementary	Public	3-5	701 Minnesota Ave	Big Lake	55309	Sherburne County	Big Lake Public School District	No	No	No	No	(763) 262-2537	758	49	15.3	35.4%	593 (78.2%)	34 (4.5%)	62 (8.2%)	18 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (6.5%)	50.3	456^th of 869 public elementary schools	47.5%		56.3	412^th of 872 public elementary schools	52.8%	44	43.3	42.9	49.8		45.3	22.7	22.7	46.9	54.5	51.0		51.1			$11,086
Big Lake Online K-5	Public, Virtual	K-5	501 Minnesota Ave	Big Lake	55309	Sherburne County	Big Lake Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(763) 262-6174	24	1	35.8	33.3%	15 (62.5%)	2 (8.3%)	1 (4.2%)	5 (20.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.2%)								(n/a)					50.0							20.0
Liberty Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	17901 205th Ave N W	Big Lake	55309	Sherburne County	Big Lake Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 262-8100	756	58	13.1	34.4%	581 (76.9%)	36 (4.8%)	66 (8.7%)	15 (2.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (7.3%)								(n/a)													83.1%	16.9%	$11,455
Foundations I	Public	K-6	302 Washington St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Sherburne and Northern Wright Speci	No	No	No	No	(763) 272-2600	5	0	2.6	—	3 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (40.0%)								(n/a)
Eastview Education Center	Public	PK-K	9375 Fenning Ave NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 272-2801	301	43	7.0	38.5%	229 (76.1%)	14 (4.7%)	33 (11.0%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.0%)								(n/a)													86.3%	9.7%	$16,426
Swan River Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	500 Maple St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Swan River Montessori Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(763) 271-7926	161	12	12.9	3.7%	151 (93.8%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.5%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	66.2	289^th of 869 public elementary schools	66.7%		60.1	368^th of 872 public elementary schools	57.8%	79	71.4	60.0	52.6	72.7	63.4	20.0	20.0	76.2	66.7	20.0		53.5	31.4%	0%	$12,079
Pinewood Elementary - SNW	Public	K-6	1010 W Broadway St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Sherburne and Northern Wright Speci	No	No	No	No	(763) 272-2050	7	2	4.0	—	6 (85.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (14.3%)								(n/a)
Pinewood Elementary	Public	1-5	1010 W Broadway St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 272-2401	794	53	14.8	35.0%	621 (78.2%)	23 (2.9%)	83 (10.5%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (7.1%)	68.7	267^th of 869 public elementary schools	69.3%		68.2	290^th of 872 public elementary schools	66.7%	23	55.0	53.6	63.3		57.3	30.9	30.9	63.8	57.6	47.3		56.2			$12,623
Little Mountain Elementary	Public	1-5	9350 Fallon Ave NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 272-2600	576	42	13.6	32.6%	414 (71.9%)	29 (5.0%)	61 (10.6%)	23 (4.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.6%)	67.9	272^nd of 869 public elementary schools	68.7%		66.2	310^th of 872 public elementary schools	64.4%	38	41.9	59.2	71.3		57.6	32.0	32.0	59.7	53.3	54.3		55.8			$12,686
Kaleidoscope Charter Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	7525 Kalland Ave NE	Otsego	55301	Wright County	Kaleidoscope Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(763) 428-1890	300	28	10.9	35.0%	220 (73.3%)	20 (6.7%)	20 (6.7%)	7 (2.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	31.5	633^rd of 869 public elementary schools	27.2%		26.6	677^th of 872 public elementary schools	22.4%	44	42.0	38.3	34.7		38.4	8.2	8.2	45.1	52.5	20.4		40.3	73.2%	24.4%	$14,535

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 758 students attended Independence Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Big Lake Middle School
High : Big Lake Senior High

Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Independence Elementary ranks 456^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Independence Elementary in?

Big Lake Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 78% White, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

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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.