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

Mountain Lake Elementary

Q: Is Mountain Lake Elementary a good school?

Mountain Lake Elementary ranks 519 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

519^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Mountain Lake Elementary is a PK–6 school in the small southwestern Minnesota community of Mountain Lake, serving 257 students as part of Mountain Lake Public Schools. The district ranks 168th of 458 in Minnesota (63rd percentile, 3 stars), but the school itself ranked 519th of 869 in 2025-2026 (40th percentile, 2 stars), placing it below the state median. That is an improvement from 32nd percentile in 2024-2025, yet still far below its earlier high of 75th percentile and 4 stars in 2016-2017. The school serves a high-poverty population: 63.04% of students received free/reduced lunch in 2024-2025, and its student-teacher ratio was 12:1.

Reading is Mountain Lake’s clearest strength. At 49.6% proficient, it is above the state’s 48.6% and above nearby St. James Northside Elementary, Trimont Elementary, Windom Area Elementary, and Butterfield Elementary; only Comfrey Elementary is higher at 63.6%. Math is below the state (40.0% vs. 44.9%) and lower than most nearby schools, with 5th-grade math especially low at 23.7%. Science is the sharpest concern: only 10.5% proficient, less than half the state’s 25.5% and far below nearby schools like St. James Northside Elementary (18.5%), Trimont Elementary (25.5%), and Comfrey Elementary (30.0%). It is also about half the district’s 20.0% science rate and has fallen dramatically from 44.19% in 2022-2023.

Subgroup results show major internal gaps. In 2025-2026, female students ranked at the 52nd percentile (3 stars), while male students ranked at the 26th percentile (1 star). Special education students ranked at only the 12th percentile, after 2nd and 7th percentile results in the prior two years. Low-income students improved to the 45th percentile, above the school’s overall 40th percentile. The school’s recent gains are encouraging but not broad-based, since science and upper-grade math remain weak. For parents, the most actionable priorities appear to be science instruction, 5th- and 6th-grade math, and special education support, while reading is the strongest area to build on.

257

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,056

Per pupil spending ?

63.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

90.5%

Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (2025-26)

Exemptions: 4.8% (MMR)

450 12th St N
Mountain Lake, MN 56159-8888

(507) 427-2325

District: Mountain Lake Public Schools

Students who attend Mountain Lake Elementary usually attend:

High:

Mountain Lake Secondary

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.6%

Hispanic:

33.1%

Two or more races:

11.3%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Mountain Lake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 32 percentile points since 2016

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

!Science scores 15 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Minnesota avg43%

519^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 32 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

168^th of 458Mountain Lake Public Schools among Minnesota districts

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
2026	44.5	519 of 869	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.5	594 of 872	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.9	569 of 881	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	536 of 845	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.6	597 of 858	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.6	611 of 869	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.3	433 of 870	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.7	368 of 847	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	73.7	210 of 853	75.4%	★★★★☆
2016	71.7	237 of 848	72.1%	★★★★☆
2015	63.1	350 of 840	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	65.1	319 of 826	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.6	418 of 824	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	69.7	235 of 820	71.3%	★★★★☆
2011	69.8	227 of 814	72.1%	★★★★☆
2010	56.8	433 of 803	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.7	234 of 434	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	51.1	467 of 781	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.1	481 of 777	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	69.8	198 of 756	73.8%	★★★★☆
2005	32.5	555 of 685	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	43.4	471 of 676	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2003	45.0	459 of 674	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	54.7	90 of 256	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.8	71 of 175	59.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.3	379 of 790	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.1	562 of 799	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.5	495 of 809	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	473 of 787	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.9	558 of 799	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.3	530 of 783	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.3	417 of 787	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.7	314 of 774	59.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	45.1	133 of 256	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.1	149 of 238	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.8	79 of 249	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	80 of 214	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.5	137 of 209	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.1	94 of 153	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	89.0	9 of 220	95.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	46.8	423 of 764	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.8	594 of 764	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.2	483 of 793	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.2	411 of 774	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.1	419 of 663	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.3	362 of 683	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.6	133 of 740	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	77 of 728	89.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	597 of 807	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.6	586 of 812	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.3	572 of 826	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.0	541 of 799	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.9	562 of 808	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.7	584 of 784	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.5	414 of 798	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.0	391 of 779	49.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	508 of 579	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.7	549 of 562	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	533 of 572	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	417 of 524	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	406 of 710	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.2	460 of 714	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.3	548 of 730	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.4	517 of 712	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.3	498 of 725	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.5	494 of 710	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.0	325 of 722	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.4	355 of 712	50.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)65th percentile+34 vs school

Female (2026)52nd percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)48th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)26th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)12th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading50%~ state avg

Math40%-5 vs state

Science10%-15 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Mountain Lake 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 Mountain Lake Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)					Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Mountain Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	450 12th St N	Mountain Lake	56159	Cottonwood County	Mountain Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 427-2325	257	21	12.0	63.0%	130 (50.6%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (33.1%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	29 (11.3%)	44.5	519^th of 869 public elementary schools	40.3%		35.5	594^th of 872 public elementary schools	31.9%	75	44.0	55.2	51.3	46.4	49.6	10.5	10.5	52.0	55.2	23.7	35.7	40.0	90.5%	4.8%	$12,056
Butterfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	440 Hubbard Ave	Butterfield	56120	Watonwan County	Butterfield-Odin Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 956-2771	110	13	8.6	75.5%	22 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (74.5%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.8	630^th of 869 public elementary schools	27.5%		36.4	590^th of 872 public elementary schools	32.3%	40	30.8	26.7	57.1	23.5	33.9	21.4	21.4	46.2	20.0	50.0	23.5	33.9	81%	4.8%	$16,268
STARSS Online Academy Elementary	Public	K-5	1454 6th Ave N	Windom	56101	Cottonwood County	Region 6 and 8-SW/Wc Service Coop	No	No	No	No	(507) 360-1876	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Windom Area Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1200 17th St	Windom	56101	Cottonwood County	Windom Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 831-6925	493	37	13.2	49.3%	277 (56.2%)	12 (2.4%)	136 (27.6%)	23 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	29 (5.9%)	40.7	557^th of 869 public elementary schools	35.9%		52.9	450^th of 872 public elementary schools	48.4%	107	30.5	42.6			37.2			50.0	52.5			51.4	93.8%	1.3%
Comfrey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	305 Ochre St W	Comfrey	56019	Brown County	Comfrey Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 877-3491	57	6	8.9	42.1%	53 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.5%)	2 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59.2	356^th of 869 public elementary schools	59.0%					(n/a)	45.5		80.0		63.6	30.0	30.0	60.0		20.0		50.0			$16,323
St. James Northside Elementary	Public	K-5	1273 10th Ave N	Saint James	56081	Watonwan County	St. James Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 375-3325	502	38	13.3	59.0%	176 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	318 (63.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	47.6	494^th of 869 public elementary schools	43.2%		31.5	630^th of 872 public elementary schools	27.8%	136	48.0	31.3	46.9		41.9	18.5	18.5	65.3	55.0	39.5		53.0	96.8%	3.2%	$13,011
Trimont Elementary	Public	3-6	77 W Beech St	Trimont	56176	Martin County	Martin County West School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 639-2071	200	15	13.6	36.5%	177 (88.5%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (5.0%)	2 (1.0%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	50.9	449^th of 869 public elementary schools	48.3%		48.2	492^nd of 872 public elementary schools	43.6%	43	40.0	45.8	47.1	56.8	47.3	25.5	25.5	44.4	53.1	29.4	54.5	45.0			$11,420

Frequently Asked Questions about Mountain Lake Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Mountain Lake Elementary?

Students at Mountain Lake Elementary are 51% White, 33% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Mountain Lake Elementary in?

Mountain Lake Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Mountain Lake Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mountain Lake Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Mountain Lake Secondary

How many students attend Mountain Lake Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 257 students attended Mountain Lake Elementary.

Is Mountain Lake Elementary a good school?

Mountain Lake Elementary ranks 519^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Mountain Lake Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Elementary School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Mountain Lake, MN

Sign up for updates!

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

Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

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.