Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Finlayson Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-6

Summary

Finlayson Elementary is a small public elementary school in Finlayson, Minnesota, serving grades PK-6 with an enrollment of 52 students. The school is part of the Hinckley-Finlayson School District, which is ranked 354 out of 463 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Finlayson Elementary stands out in several ways. It has a significantly higher percentage of white students (90.38%) compared to nearby schools like Hinckley Elementary (64.71%) and Moose Lake Elementary (89.64%). The school also outperforms the district on state standardized tests, with 46.34% of students proficient or better in Math and 34.15% in Reading, compared to 28.19% and 32.84% for the district, respectively. Additionally, Finlayson Elementary has a very low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10 to 11.7 students per teacher, significantly lower than nearby schools.

However, the school has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating over the past several years, dropping from a 5-star rating and 47th rank out of 870 Minnesota elementary schools in 2018-2019 to a 2-star rating and 570th rank out of 881 schools in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school's performance may be declining relative to other schools in the state. Additionally, the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 37.7% to 51.92%, indicates potential socioeconomic challenges that the school may be facing.

Students ?

10.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,831

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2159 Hwy 18
Finlayson, MN 55735-0128

(320) 233-7611

District: Hinckley-Finlayson School District

Students who attend Finlayson Elementary usually attend:

High:

Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.0%

Two or more races:

8.6%

Hispanic:

5.2%

See top rated Minnesota public schools

Compare Finlayson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 36th percentile in 2012 → 35th in 2024

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg33%

Minnesota avg47%

Not ranked this year

Finlayson Elementary did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

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
2024	41.7	570 of 881	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.8	488 of 845	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.7	300 of 858	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.0	357 of 869	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	87.8	47 of 870	94.6%	★★★★★
2018	72.2	224 of 847	73.6%	★★★★☆
2017	65.8	324 of 853	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.4	398 of 848	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.3	285 of 826	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.3	528 of 820	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	70.9	213 of 814	73.8%	★★★★☆
2010	55.1	459 of 803	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	23.0	685 of 781	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	42.3	572 of 777	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.2	616 of 756	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.3	566 of 685	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	29.4	558 of 676	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	33.9	527 of 674	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	21.5	638 of 730	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.6	591 of 712	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	48.1	405 of 725	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.5	444 of 710	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	83.2	64 of 722	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	58.0	294 of 712	58.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2024)13th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Math50%+5 vs state

Reading48%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Finlayson Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Finlayson Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Finlayson Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCA-III Math (2025)					MCA-III Reading (2025)					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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
Finlayson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2159 Hwy 18	Finlayson	55735	Pine County	Hinckley-Finlayson School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 233-7611	58	6	10.1	51.7%	47 (81.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.2%)	2 (3.4%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (8.6%)								(n/a)				30.0	50.0				50.0	48.4	$12,831
East Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	61085 State Highway 23	Finlayson	55735	Pine County	East Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 245-6013	391	28	14.0	49.4%	296 (75.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	4 (1.0%)	39 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.2%)	47.4	500^th of 872 public elementary schools	42.7%		54.7	437^th of 881 public elementary schools	50.4%	63	55.1	51.1	39.7	37.0	45.5	40.0	33.3	60.3	41.3	44.7	$12,261
East Central Early Childhood	Public	PK-K	61085 State Highway 23	Finlayson	55735	Pine County	East Central School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 245-6013	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Willow River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8142 Pine St	Willow River	55795	Pine County	Willow River Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 372-3131	231	20	11.5	44.2%	207 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	53.5	442^nd of 872 public elementary schools	49.3%		54	441^st of 881 public elementary schools	49.9%	1	64.0	38.2	46.9	39.5	45.7	48.0	26.5	62.5	57.9	48.8	$12,165
Hinckley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	111 Blair Ave S	Hinckley	55037	Pine County	Hinckley-Finlayson School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 384-6443	395	34	11.4	63.3%	249 (63.0%)	5 (1.3%)	23 (5.8%)	5 (1.3%)	53 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (15.2%)	34	605^th of 872 public elementary schools	30.6%		25.6	684^th of 881 public elementary schools	22.4%	79	62.8	60.0	18.8	20.0	38.2	39.5	41.7	36.5	28.6	36.5	$10,344
Moose Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4812 County Rd 10	Moose Lake	55767	Carlton County	Moose Lake Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 485-4834	285	24	12.0	39.3%	252 (88.4%)	5 (1.8%)	8 (2.8%)	3 (1.1%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.2%)	47.3	502^nd of 872 public elementary schools	42.4%		54	442^nd of 881 public elementary schools	49.8%	60	48.9	47.8	31.0	33.3	40.9	35.4	37.0	69.1	61.1	49.4	$11,820

Frequently Asked Questions about Finlayson Elementary

What district is Finlayson Elementary in?

Hinckley-Finlayson School District

What is the racial makeup of Finlayson Elementary?

Students at Finlayson Elementary are 81% White, 9% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Finlayson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Finlayson Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary

How many students attend Finlayson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 58 students attended Finlayson Elementary.

Rate Finlayson Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Elementary School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Finlayson, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Finlayson Elementary!

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.