Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary

Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary in Hinckley, MN, is a public school serving grades 7–12 with 398 students in the Hinckley-Finlayson School District, where economic need is higher than in several nearby districts. Recent results show improvement: the school rose from the 16th percentile in 2023–2024 to 34th in 2024–2025 and 42nd in 2025–2026, its best showing in the available 10-year history. Even so, it remains below the state average and behind nearby comprehensive high schools such as Mora High School (72nd percentile), Pine City Secondary (54th), and East Central Senior Secondary (53rd).

Academically, 2025–2026 proficiency was 16.7% in Math, 28.3% in Reading, and 18.9% in Science, all below Minnesota’s 44.9%, 48.6%, and 25.5%. Middle-grade math is the clearest weakness: 8th grade Math was 11.3% proficient, compared with 42.3% statewide, 47.4% at Mora High School, 37.5% at Pine City Secondary, and 20.5% at East Central Senior Secondary; 7th grade Math was 17.3% versus 40.3% statewide. Science was a relative bright spot against Pine City Secondary (18.9% vs. 15.2%), and Science End of Course reached 31.1% versus 35% statewide. Graduation was 82.5%, above the district’s 82.1% but below the state’s 84.9%; the dropout rate was 7.9%, nearly double the state’s 4.2% and well above Mora High School’s 2.2% and Pine City Secondary’s 2.8%, though below East Central Senior Secondary’s 9.5%. About 52.26% of students received free/reduced lunch, higher than those peers; student-teacher ratio was 14.6.

For families, the improvement trend is encouraging, but subgroup results reveal gaps: special education students ranked in the 6th percentile and low-SES students in the 15th percentile—both far below the school’s overall 42nd percentile. Parents may want to ask about supports for special education and low-income students, middle school math, and dropout prevention. The same-district alternative, Empower Learning Center, serves 18 students in grades 10–12 with a 72.22% free/reduced lunch rate, 80% graduation, and 10% dropout; Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary remains the district’s main comprehensive pathway and generally outperforms alternative settings, even as it trails the strongest nearby comprehensive high schools.