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Paynesville Area Elementary

Q: Is Paynesville Area Elementary a good school?

Paynesville Area Elementary ranks 359 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

359^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Paynesville Area Elementary is a PK–5 school with 429 students in Paynesville, a small city in central Minnesota. It is the elementary school for Paynesville Area Schools, a district ranked 279 of 458 in the state (39th percentile, 2 stars). The school itself ranked 359 of 869 Minnesota elementary schools in 2025–26 — 59th percentile, 3 stars — placing it above its own district and in the middle of the pack among nearby elementary schools.

Reading is the school's clearest strength: overall proficiency was 55.5%, above the state's 48.6% and the district's 46.4%, and second only to Albany Elementary among nearby scored schools. Fourth-grade reading is a standout at 64.3%, 15.5 points above the state. Math (50.0%) is also above state and district averages, but it is the lowest among nearby scored elementary schools, which range from 52.7% to 68.2%; fifth-grade math is the weak spot at 38.0%, below the state. Science has dropped sharply, from 63.51% in 2023–24 to 24.1% in 2025–26, now just under the state's 25.5%. Overall, the school outperforms Cold Spring Elementary and Richmond Elementary but trails Albany, Eden Valley Elementary, and Prairie Woods Elementary.

Two signals are worth watching. The school slipped from 4 stars (71st percentile) in 2024–25 to 3 stars (59th percentile) in 2025–26, interrupting three strong years, and its effectiveness rank for Special Education Students fell from the 77th percentile in 2023–24 to the 26th percentile in 2025–26. On the positive side, low-income students rank at the 67th percentile, above the school overall. With a moderate free/reduced lunch rate (29.6%) and a student-teacher ratio of 14.4, the school's results are not fully explained by demographics or class size.

429

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,355

Per pupil spending ?

29.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

205 W Mill St
Paynesville, MN 56362-1444

(320) 243-3725

District: Paynesville Area Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.4%

Hispanic:

5.1%

Two or more races:

2.8%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Paynesville Area Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 77th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (48% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Above the Minnesota median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg38%

Minnesota avg43%

359^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

279^th of 458Paynesville Area 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	59.1	359 of 869	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.0	257 of 872	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	215 of 881	75.6%	★★★★☆
2023	70.1	250 of 845	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	45.1	540 of 858	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	460 of 869	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.0	375 of 870	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.0	188 of 847	77.8%	★★★★☆
2017	76.7	171 of 853	80.0%	★★★★☆
2016	74.3	195 of 848	77.0%	★★★★☆
2015	79.5	115 of 840	86.3%	★★★★☆
2014	76.5	147 of 826	82.2%	★★★★☆
2013	73.4	193 of 824	76.6%	★★★★☆
2012	60.3	396 of 820	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.2	486 of 814	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.4	523 of 803	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.2	367 of 781	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.4	305 of 777	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	48.6	476 of 756	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	58.4	325 of 685	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	53.2	375 of 676	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2003	57.6	332 of 674	50.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.0	321 of 790	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.9	176 of 799	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	202 of 809	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	64.9	292 of 787	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.8	473 of 799	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.4	424 of 783	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.7	376 of 787	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.3	176 of 774	77.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	62.6	249 of 764	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.9	348 of 764	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.9	204 of 793	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	198 of 774	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	62.0	220 of 663	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.2	346 of 683	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.2	240 of 740	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.9	87 of 728	88.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	364 of 807	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.0	334 of 812	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.3	223 of 826	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	71.3	217 of 799	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	43.1	539 of 808	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.3	463 of 784	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.7	365 of 798	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.9	200 of 779	74.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	30.1	427 of 579	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.8	462 of 562	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	67.8	134 of 572	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	113 of 524	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	62.3	184 of 515	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.0	124 of 463	73.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	491 of 710	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.5	350 of 714	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	295 of 730	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.2	356 of 712	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	21.3	641 of 725	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	571 of 710	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.0	526 of 722	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	60.4	271 of 712	61.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)59th percentile~ school

Male (2026)55th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-28 vs school

Special Education (2026)26th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading56%+7 vs state

Math50%+5 vs state

Science24%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Paynesville Area Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)					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 (2025)	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	Total
Paynesville Area Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 W Mill St	Paynesville	56362	Stearns County	Paynesville Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 243-3725	429	30	14.4	29.6%	388 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.8%)	59.1	359^th of 869 public elementary schools	58.7%		71	257^th of 872 public elementary schools	70.5%	102	46.7	64.3	54.4		55.5	24.1	24.1	61.7	53.5	38.0		50.0	$11,355
Eden Valley Elementary	Public	K-6	901 Stearns Ave E	Eden Valley	55329	Meeker County	Eden Valley-Watkins School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 453-2900	383	25	15.2	31.1%	352 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	72.1	239^th of 869 public elementary schools	72.5%		71.2	253^rd of 872 public elementary schools	71.0%	14	44.7	40.3	69.8	60.6	53.6	45.3	45.3	75.0	49.3	70.4	56.1	61.3	$10,332
Richmond Elementary	Public	K-5	34 2nd St NE	Richmond	56368	Stearns County	Rocori Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 597-2016	135	11	12.6	25.2%	113 (83.7%)	2 (1.5%)	10 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (7.4%)	51.8	440^th of 869 public elementary schools	49.4%		62.2	350^th of 872 public elementary schools	59.9%	90	36.4	69.6	48.0		51.4	12.0	12.0	68.2	56.5	36.0		52.9	$11,339
Prairie Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	17435 County Road 9 NE	New London	56273	Kandiyohi County	New London-Spicer School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 354-2252	578	44	13.2	28.0%	509 (88.1%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (10.0%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	70.9	252^nd of 869 public elementary schools	71.0%		75.3	204^th of 872 public elementary schools	76.6%	48	46.7	57.9			53.0			66.4	67.1			66.8	$11,812
Cold Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Red River Ave N	Cold Spring	56320	Stearns County	Rocori Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 685-7534	656	43	15.3	37.3%	518 (79.0%)	4 (0.6%)	118 (18.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.4%)	52.1	436^th of 869 public elementary schools	49.8%		50.4	472^nd of 872 public elementary schools	45.9%	36	48.5	45.2	48.1		47.3	18.9	18.9	65.7	55.9	37.7		52.7	$12,776
Watkins Elementary	Public	PK-K	161 School Ave	Watkins	55329	Meeker County	Eden Valley-Watkins School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 453-2900	60	6	10.5	33.3%	58 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.3%)								(n/a)													$3,483
A.C.G.C. Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	302 S 2nd St	Atwater	56209	Kandiyohi County	A.C.G.C. Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 244-4686	369	32	11.5	53.7%	295 (79.9%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (16.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	58.8	364^th of 869 public elementary schools	58.1%		45.3	519^th of 872 public elementary schools	40.5%	155	36.9	58.1			47.2			58.5	61.3			59.8	$12,613
Albany Elementary	Public	1-5	10 Forest Ave	Albany	56307	Stearns County	Albany Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 845-2161	380	27	13.8	23.7%	357 (93.9%)	2 (0.5%)	13 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	77.5	173^rd of 869 public elementary schools	80.1%		72.8	233^rd of 872 public elementary schools	73.3%	60	50.6	62.1	64.1		58.7	32.1	32.1	72.2	66.7	65.4		68.2	$10,474
John Clark Elementary	Public	K-5	415 W Broadway	Rockville	56369	Stearns County	Rocori Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 251-8651	129	10	13.5	24.0%	110 (85.3%)	1 (0.8%)	17 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	62.1	320^th of 869 public elementary schools	63.2%		61.3	358^th of 872 public elementary schools	58.9%	38	44.0	30.4	65.2		46.5	30.4	30.4	72.0	52.2	60.9		62.0	$11,865
Albany Area Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	300 3rd Ave	Albany	56307	Stearns County	Albany Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(320) 845-2171	59	9	6.4	32.2%	51 (86.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.4%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Paynesville Area Elementary

What schools do graduates of Paynesville Area Elementary attend?

Students who attend Paynesville Area Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Paynesville Area Secondary School

What district is Paynesville Area Elementary in?

Paynesville Area Schools

Is Paynesville Area Elementary a good school?

Paynesville Area Elementary ranks 359^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Paynesville Area Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 429 students attended Paynesville Area Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Paynesville Area Elementary?

Students at Paynesville Area Elementary are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

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

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 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.