Isle Elementary

Isle Elementary is a PK–6 school of about 200 students located at 730 5th Ave S in Isle, Minnesota — a small community in east-central Minnesota where this building is the only elementary school in the Isle Public School District.

In 2025–26 the school ranks 594th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools (32nd percentile, 2 stars), with proficiency of 38.3% in math, 38.3% in reading, and 20.6% in science. All three are below the state averages (44.9%, 48.6%, 25.5%), though math and reading are above the district's own averages. The biggest story is a three-year slide: math is down roughly 21 points and reading about 20 points since 2022–23, and the school has fallen from the 62nd percentile in 2021–22 to 32nd. The dip is concentrated in grades 3 and 5, while 4th grade math and 6th grade reading are essentially at state level. Science results jump around a lot — only 5th grade is tested, each grade has roughly 25 students, and one student is worth about 4 percentage points — so single-year swings there should be read with caution.

Nearby comparisons are useful. Mora Elementary School (19 miles away, 862 students) ranks 175th statewide (80th percentile, 4 stars) with 60.8% math and 61.8% reading — showing strong results are achievable in this region. Onamia Elementary School (10.9 miles) ranks 815th, with 17.7% math and 18.8% reading. Isle's student-teacher ratio of 10.9 is the lowest of the three and has improved each year, and about 52.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch (down sharply from 71.3%, which may reflect reporting changes rather than demographics). Low-income students rank in the 46th percentile — the strongest reported group — while special education students sit at the 15th percentile, a long-standing gap.