Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Independence Elementary ranks 384 th of 843 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 660 students attended Independence Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 78% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 2% Asian.

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

Independence Elementary

Public 3-5

701 Minnesota Ave
Big Lake, MN 55309-8888

(763) 262-2537

District: Big Lake Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
384^th of 843 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,086

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 660

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

7.7%

Two or more races:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Elementary ranks better than 54.4% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.64. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (77.6%), Hispanic (7.7%), two or more races (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Elementary is 15.6. (See more...)

Compare Independence Elementary employs 42 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Elementary is $11,086.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Independence Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Elementary 384^th of 843 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Independence Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Big Lake Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Big Lake Public School District 175^th of 448 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Elementary?

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Rank History for Independence Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	59.06	317^th	674	53.0%
2004	66.24	225^th	676	66.7%
2005	64.87	236^th	685	65.5%
2006	54.85	412^th	756	45.5%
2007	69.49	213^th	777	72.6%
2008	67.35	245^th	781	68.6%
2010	56.86	432^nd	803	46.2%
2011	51.15	495^th	814	39.2%
2012	68.00	264^th	820	67.8%
2013	56.16	425^th	824	48.4%
2014	59.00	397^th	826	51.9%
2015	43.53	574^th	840	31.7%
2016	68.36	280^th	848	67.0%
2017	67.54	305^th	853	64.2%
2018	68.65	269^th	847	68.2%
2019	72.97	217^th	870	75.1%
2021	64.42	312^th	869	64.1%
2022	65.12	324^th	858	62.2%
2023	58.64	385^th	845	54.4%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	64.31	32^nd	98	67.3%
2019	56.51	41^st	96	57.3%
2022	36.55	58^th	87	33.3%
2023	33.62	54^th	77	29.9%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.42	200^th	276	27.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	72.68	95^th	463	79.5%
2019	71.05	112^th	515	78.3%
2021	38.04	285^th	417	31.7%
2022	61.19	166^th	500	66.8%
2023	58.64	182^nd	524	65.3%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	79.21	84^th	728	88.5%
2019	79.13	84^th	740	88.6%
2021	68.66	178^th	683	73.9%
2022	71.29	145^th	663	78.1%
2023	65.45	244^th	774	68.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	65.66	287^th	774	62.9%
2019	65.80	287^th	787	63.5%
2021	57.68	362^nd	783	53.8%
2022	64.04	306^th	799	61.7%
2023	58.11	354^th	787	55.0%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	68.54	247^th	779	68.3%
2019	75.99	161^st	798	79.8%
2021	65.43	270^th	784	65.6%
2022	62.83	308^th	808	61.9%
2023	55.98	377^th	799	52.8%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2021	64.83	65^th	227	71.4%
2022	60.97	91^st	282	67.7%
2023	66.38	74^th	279	73.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	76.45	33^rd	220	85.0%
2019	72.17	39^th	219	82.2%
2021	91.85	4^th	153	97.4%
2022	89.39	10^th	209	95.2%
2023	75.50	33^rd	214	84.6%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	48.19	403^rd	712	43.4%
2019	60.27	274^th	722	62.0%
2021	46.16	404^th	710	43.1%
2022	49.58	392^nd	725	45.9%
2023	39.90	459^th	712	35.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	710	1	7	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	719
1989	709	4	7	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	725
1990	732	3	8	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	747
1991	769	1	4	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	776
1992	794	2	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	805
1993	825	3	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	833
1994	887	5	5	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	905
1995	714	4	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	736
1996	714	4	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	736
1997	785	1	7	4	5	n/a	n/a	0	802
1998	805	3	10	11	3	n/a	n/a	14	846
1999	1055	3	9	14	6	n/a	n/a	0	1087
2000	1211	5	8	13	11	n/a	n/a	0	1248
2001	1376	11	9	24	17	n/a	n/a	0	1437
2002	1513	15	15	30	24	n/a	n/a	0	1597
2003	1513	15	15	30	24	n/a	n/a	0	1597
2004	764	10	8	21	12	n/a	n/a	0	815
2005	750	11	11	20	10	n/a	n/a	0	802
2006	754	20	9	31	15	n/a	n/a	0	829
2007	874	41	14	40	12	n/a	n/a	0	981
2008	887	45	15	39	13	n/a	n/a	0	999
2009	867	47	15	41	8	n/a	n/a	0	978
2010	895	41	19	36	6	n/a	n/a	0	997
2011	847	28	18	41	5	0	28	0	967
2012	792	15	15	33	5	0	32	0	892
2013	754	12	14	37	2	0	31	0	850
2014	761	15	13	28	1	0	41	0	859
2015	750	13	12	24	1	0	47	0	847
2016	727	19	11	25	2	0	45	0	829
2017	644	18	13	22	4	0	37	0	738
2018	635	21	13	40	5	0	39	0	753
2019	585	16	13	43	5	0	37	0	699
2020	563	30	14	43	3	0	39	0	692
2021	507	44	9	38	4	0	33	0	635
2022	485	32	9	46	2	0	43	0	617
2023	512	37	11	51	5	0	44	0	660

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	719	31.1	23.1	10.3
1989	725	37.1	19.5	12.1
1990	747	36.8	20.2	10.6
1991	776	39.0	19.8	7.1
1992	805	39.6	20.3	13.4
1993	833	42.5	19.6	16.9
1994	905	41.1	22.0	15.7
1995	736	39.5	18.6	12.4
1996	736	39.5	18.6	12.4
1997	802	40.0	20.1	10
1998	846	n/a	0.0	11.7
1999	1087	60.0	18.1	11.2
2000	1248	65.8	19.0	18.2
2001	1437	80.8	17.8	19.8
2002	1597	91.2	17.5	17.8
2003	1597	91.2	17.5	17.8
2004	815	47.4	17.2	20.7
2005	802	48.4	16.6	19.8
2006	829	44.8	18.5	20.5
2007	981	53.0	18.5	22
2008	999	50.2	19.9	21.7
2009	978	48.4	20.2	25.4
2010	997	48.5	20.5	29.9
2011	967	51.5	18.7	31.2
2012	892	49.1	18.1	29.7
2013	850	46.1	18.4	30
2014	859	44.4	19.3	28.5
2015	847	47.0	18.0	26.9
2016	829	43.0	19.2	27.1
2017	738	43.3	17.0	25.7
2018	753	43.5	17.2	26.3
2019	699	43.3	16.1	25.3
2020	692	41.2	16.7	28.9
2021	635	42.1	15.0	20.8
2022	617	41.6	14.8	22
2023	660	42.0	15.6	39.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	719	31.1	23.1	10.3
1989	725	37.1	19.5	12.1
1990	747	36.8	20.2	10.6
1991	776	39.0	19.8	7.1
1992	805	39.6	20.3	13.4
1993	833	42.5	19.6	16.9
1994	905	41.1	22.0	15.7
1995	736	39.5	18.6	12.4
1996	736	39.5	18.6	12.4
1997	802	40.0	20.1	10
1998	846	n/a	0.0	11.7
1999	1087	60.0	18.1	11.2
2000	1248	65.8	19.0	18.2
2001	1437	80.8	17.8	19.8
2002	1597	91.2	17.5	17.8
2003	1597	91.2	17.5	17.8
2004	815	47.4	17.2	20.7
2005	802	48.4	16.6	19.8
2006	829	44.8	18.5	20.5
2007	981	53.0	18.5	22
2008	999	50.2	19.9	21.7
2009	978	48.4	20.2	25.4
2010	997	48.5	20.5	29.9
2011	967	51.5	18.7	31.2
2012	892	49.1	18.1	29.7
2013	850	46.1	18.4	30
2014	859	44.4	19.3	28.5
2015	847	47.0	18.0	26.9
2016	829	43.0	19.2	27.1
2017	738	43.3	17.0	25.7
2018	753	43.5	17.2	26.3
2019	699	43.3	16.1	25.3
2020	692	41.2	16.7	28.9
2021	635	42.1	15.0	20.8
2022	617	41.6	14.8	22
2023	660	42.0	15.6	39.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,086

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 217^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 385^th of 845 Elementary schools	20.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Independence Elementary)	73	55.6	17.4%
3rd Grade Math (Big Lake Public School District)	73	55.3	17.7%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Independence Elementary)	58.2	42.7	15.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Big Lake Public School District)	58.2	42.8	15.4%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Independence Elementary)	69.9	52.8	17.1%
4th Grade Math (Big Lake Public School District)	69.9	52	17.9%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Independence Elementary)	63.9	41.2	22.7%
4th Grade Reading (Big Lake Public School District)	63.9	40.7	23.2%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%
5th Grade Math (Independence Elementary)	68.4	61	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Big Lake Public School District)	68.4	60.4	8%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Independence Elementary)	72.5	64.3	8.2%
5th Grade Reading (Big Lake Public School District)	72.5	64.1	8.5%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Independence Elementary)	70.7	56.8	13.9%
5th Grade Science (Big Lake Public School District)	70.7	56.2	14.5%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	699	660	5.6%
African American	16	37	131.3%
American Indian	5	5
Asian	13	11	15.4%
Hispanic	43	51	18.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	585	512	12.5%
Two or More Races	37	44	18.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	25.3%	39.7%	14.4%

Schools Near Independence Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MCA-III Math (2023)				MCA-III Reading (2023)				MCA-III Science (2023)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Independence Elementary	Public	3-5	701 Minnesota Ave	Big Lake	55309	Sherburne County	Big Lake Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 262-2537	660	42	15.6	39.7%	512 (77.6%)	37 (5.6%)	51 (7.7%)	11 (1.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (6.7%)	58.6	384^th of 843 public elementary schools	54.4%		65.1	324^th of 858 public elementary schools	62.2%	60	55.6	52.8	61.0	56.4	42.7	41.2	64.3	49.2	56.8	56.8	$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	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(763) 262-2536	25	0	147.0	68.0%	17 (68.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.0%)								(n/a)				25.0				36.4
Liberty Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	17901 205th Ave N W	Big Lake	55309	Sherburne County	Big Lake Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 262-8100	806	55	14.6	40.0%	640 (79.4%)	40 (5.0%)	58 (7.2%)	12 (1.5%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.3%)								(n/a)											$11,455
882 Online K-5	Public, Virtual	K-5	302 Washington Street	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(763) 272-2000	11	0		36.4%	10 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Eastview Education Center	Public	PK-K	9375 Fenning Ave NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 272-2801	342	35	9.6	45.3%	276 (80.7%)	11 (3.2%)	32 (9.4%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.8%)								(n/a)											$16,426
Eastview Elementary School - SNW	Public	PK	9375 Fenning Ave NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Sherburne and Northern Wright Speci	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 272-2050	80	8	9.9	21.3%	74 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)								(n/a)
Primary DCD - SNW	Public	PK-K	9375 Fenning Avenue NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Sherburne and Northern Wright Speci	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 272-2050	5	4	1.1		2 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (20.0%)								(n/a)
Swan River Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	500 Maple St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Swan River Montessori Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 271-7926	164	13	12.4	22.0%	152 (92.7%)	3 (1.8%)	3 (1.8%)	3 (1.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	52.4	447^th of 843 public elementary schools	47.0%		58	392^nd of 858 public elementary schools	54.3%	55	67.9	36.0	23.8	43.2	57.7	48.0	66.7	57.0	38.1	38.1	$12,079
Pinewood Elementary - SNW	Public	K-5	1010 W Broadway St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Sherburne and Northern Wright Speci	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 272-2050	20	1	16.1	30.0%	15 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)	3 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)
Pinewood Elementary	Public	1-5	1010 W Broadway St	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(763) 272-2401	788	53	14.7	37.4%	629 (79.8%)	18 (2.3%)	78 (9.9%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (6.5%)	77.7	168^th of 843 public elementary schools	80.1%		79.6	136^th of 858 public elementary schools	84.1%	32	68.6	66.9	69.8	68.5	56.5	51.1	70.9	59.7	67.7	67.7	$12,623

Independence Elementary

Independence Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Big Lake Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Elementary

Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary

Enrollment information for Independence Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary

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