Summary
Laporte Elementary is a small PK–5 school in Laporte, MN, serving 146 students in the Laporte Public School District, with a high-poverty student body—59.59% qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025—and a very low student-teacher ratio of 8.2, the smallest classes among nearby schools. The district ranks 304th of 458 in Minnesota (34th percentile, 2 stars), and the school ranks 588th of 869 schools in 2025–2026 (32nd percentile, 2 stars), its highest displayed percentile after years in the 16th–28th percentile range with 1-star ratings.
Math is the clearest bright spot. In 2025–2026, 44.6% of students were proficient in math, essentially matching the state average (44.9%) and well above the district's 31.3%. Third and fourth graders outperformed the state (61.1% and 66.7%, vs. 57.9% and 55.2%), while fifth grade lagged at 25.0% against 41.9%. Reading remains about 12 points below state at 36.9%, driven by weak early grades: third grade reading was 22.2% and fourth grade 26.7%, both less than half the state average, though fifth grade reached 50.0%. Science is low and volatile at 15.6%, far below the state's 25.5% and down sharply from 46.43% two years earlier.
Compared with nearby schools, Laporte sits in the middle-lower tier. It outperforms Cass Lake-Bena Elementary and W.H.A. Elementary in most measures, but trails Nevis Elementary (54.5% math, 54.6% reading) and Gene Dillon Elementary School in reading and science. Notably, the school's effectiveness ranking for low-income students is strong at the 68th percentile with 3 stars in 2025–2026, up from the 20th percentile a year earlier, even as boys rank lower than girls (20th vs. 44th percentile). With only 146 students, single-year swings should be read cautiously. The most actionable priorities appear to be early reading in grades 3–4, fifth grade math and science, and continued support for students not yet sharing in the gains.
Thank you for your feedback!