Byron Senior High School

Byron Senior High School in Byron, Minnesota, is a public school serving grades 9–12 with 695 students in the Byron Public School District, located roughly 10 miles west of Rochester. It's a standout: in 2025–2026 it ranked 22nd of 473 Minnesota high schools (95th percentile, 5 stars), and its district ranks 11th of 458 statewide. Byron's climb has been striking — from the 60th percentile in 2021–2022 to 88th, 96th, 97th, and 95th in the four years since.

Science is the signature strength: 61% of students were proficient on the End-of-Course science test versus 35% statewide, and every one of the last four reported years has been far above the state. Reading is also strong at 59.7% (state: 42.5%). Math is the relative soft spot — 44.7% versus 35.3% statewide, only modestly above average and the most volatile subject. Graduation is 94.2% against 84.9% statewide, with a dropout rate of 1.1% versus 4.2%. Two items worth watching: a sharp drop in special-education subgroup performance to the 37th percentile (2 stars) in 2025–2026 from the 90th percentile (5 stars) two years earlier, and reading proficiency easing from 81.21% to 59.7% over four years.

Byron's closest peer is Kasson-Mantorville Senior High — nearly identical enrollment, about 4.78 miles away. Reading is a near tie, but Byron leads science by 15.4 points while Kasson-Mantorville leads math by 8.1 points, and Kasson-Mantorville is slightly ahead on graduation (96.7%) and dropout (0.6%). Against the Rochester schools the gap is wide: John Marshall High School ranks in the 46th percentile with 28.4% math and 26.2% science proficiency. Notably, Byron achieves its results with a student–teacher ratio of 21.9, the thinnest staffing among comparable schools.