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Pillager Elementary

Q: Is Pillager Elementary a good school?

Pillager Elementary ranks 383 rd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

383^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 56% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Pillager Elementary is a PK–4 school with 521 students in the Pillager Public School District, a small-town district about 25 miles west of Brainerd, Minnesota. It currently ranks 383rd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools (56th percentile, 3 stars) for 2025–26, with math proficiency at 56.5% (about 11.6 points above the state) and reading at 48.1% (essentially at the state but about 3 points below its own district).

Math is clearly the school’s strength: the school has beaten the state in math by double digits every year on record, though that margin has shrunk from +21.2 points in 2023–24 to +11.6 points in 2025–26. Reading has stayed close to the state line, never moving more than a few points either way. By grade, 4th grade is above the state in both math and reading, while 3rd grade math (54.3%) is the only school metric below the state line and 3rd grade reading is dead even. The school’s percentile has also slipped to its lowest point since 2018–19, and the recent math decline is local: both the district and state were essentially flat over the same period.

Among nearby schools, Lowell Elementary is a useful comparison: it serves a similar poverty rate (39.7% vs. the school’s 41.5%) but posts much higher math and reading and ranks in the 86th percentile. Baxter Elementary, the closest school, is also ahead of this school in both subjects. The school does outperform Staples-Motley Elementary in math and especially reading, and it is the largest building in this group. One genuine strength is that low-income students rank at the 62nd percentile—above the school’s own 56th percentile. Overall, the school is a solid above-state math school with near-state reading, but parents should watch the multi-year math slide and reading that has drifted below its district average.

521

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,169

Per pupil spending ?

41.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

81.7%

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

Exemptions: 18.3% (MMR)

323 E 2nd St S
Pillager, MN 56473-8888

(218) 746-2110

District: Pillager Public School District

Students who attend Pillager Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pillager Middle School
High:	Pillager Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.7%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Hispanic:

1.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Pillager Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (52% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Above the Minnesota median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg48%

Minnesota avg47%

383^rd of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 44%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

146^th of 458Pillager Public School District 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	57.1	383 of 869	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.8	315 of 872	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.6	329 of 881	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	324 of 845	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.9	282 of 858	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.7	259 of 869	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	57.3	444 of 870	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.2	527 of 847	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.2	510 of 853	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	72.1	230 of 848	72.9%	★★★★☆
2015	62.8	353 of 840	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.4	523 of 826	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.2	590 of 824	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	61.8	370 of 820	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	50.4	505 of 814	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	53.1	486 of 803	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.1	302 of 434	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	40.8	590 of 781	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.7	662 of 777	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.3	620 of 756	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.1	568 of 685	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	24.3	583 of 676	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	46.6	445 of 674	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	430 of 790	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.2	328 of 799	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.7	187 of 809	76.9%	★★★★☆
2023	71.1	217 of 787	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	252 of 799	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.9	278 of 783	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	254 of 787	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.2	525 of 774	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.2	290 of 764	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.8	200 of 764	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.8	213 of 793	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	68.1	211 of 774	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	112 of 663	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	92.5	16 of 683	97.7%	★★★★★
2019	61.5	276 of 740	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.0	293 of 728	59.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	298 of 807	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.9	250 of 812	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.2	479 of 826	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.6	435 of 799	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.7	310 of 808	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.4	223 of 784	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	46.5	498 of 798	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	460 of 779	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	39.0	366 of 579	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.9	153 of 562	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	39.6	357 of 572	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	306 of 524	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	309 of 500	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	62.0	129 of 417	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.6	383 of 515	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.7	306 of 463	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	547 of 710	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.1	440 of 714	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.3	476 of 730	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.9	479 of 712	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	436 of 725	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.4	342 of 710	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.5	591 of 722	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	621 of 712	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2026)63rd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2026)37th percentile-19 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math56%+12 vs state

Reading48%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Pillager 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 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
Pillager Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 746-2110	521	40	12.9	41.5%	488 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.6%)	57.1	383^rd of 869 public elementary schools	55.9%		65.8	315^th of 872 public elementary schools	63.9%	68	46.7	49.5			48.1			54.3	58.8			56.5	81.7%	18.3%	$11,169
Baxter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	12191 Jasperwood Drive	Baxter	56425	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6400	506	34	14.9	31.8%	462 (91.3%)	9 (1.8%)	11 (2.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.8%)	75.4	198^th of 869 public elementary schools	77.2%		68.8	282^nd of 872 public elementary schools	67.7%	84	59.1	64.9			62.0			70.0	55.9			62.9	82.9%	4.9%	$11,504
Riverside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	220 3rd St NW	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6800	407	40	10.2	57.5%	344 (84.5%)	4 (1.0%)	15 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (8.1%)	36.6	589^th of 869 public elementary schools	32.2%		44.4	525^th of 872 public elementary schools	39.8%	64	36.8	45.2			41.4			45.6	39.6			42.3	82.7%	6.7%	$15,397
Discovery Woods	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	604 N 7th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Discovery Woods	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 828-8200	101	11	8.9	64.4%	77 (76.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (17.8%)	10.3	797^th of 869 public elementary schools	8.3%		29	658^th of 872 public elementary schools	24.5%	139		30.0			30.3			20.0	20.0			11.8			$9,692
Harrison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1515 Oak St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6500	230	19	12.1	59.1%	200 (87.0%)	2 (0.9%)	7 (3.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (7.4%)	48.3	486^th of 869 public elementary schools	44.1%		45.3	518^th of 872 public elementary schools	40.6%	32	49.0	37.8			43.8			60.8	42.2			52.1	69%	11.9%	$14,382
Lowell Elementary	Public	K-4	704 3rd Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6550	355	26	13.9	39.7%	314 (88.5%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.5%)	82.4	122^nd of 869 public elementary schools	86.0%		84.4	100^th of 872 public elementary schools	88.5%	22	62.1	62.5			62.3			69.2	73.8			71.7	83%	5.7%	$11,809
Garfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1120 10th Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6450	250	21	12.1	52.4%	203 (81.2%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.0%)	33.3	618^th of 869 public elementary schools	28.9%		26.9	674^th of 872 public elementary schools	22.7%	56	45.5	29.7			37.0			60.0	20.3			38.7	69.4%	0%	$12,674
Staples-Motley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1025 4th St NE	Staples	56479	Todd County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 894-5400	308	24	13.1	55.8%	282 (91.6%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	38.8	573^rd of 869 public elementary schools	34.1%		33.8	609^th of 872 public elementary schools	30.2%	36	35.4	33.3			34.4			60.0	43.9			52.5	83.9%	16.1%	$12,285
Nisswa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5533 Lakers Lane	Nisswa	56468	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 961-6860	249	18	13.8	27.3%	233 (93.6%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.6%)	76.9	182^nd of 869 public elementary schools	79.1%		75.4	203^rd of 872 public elementary schools	76.7%	21	61.4	53.6	63.6		58.5	31.8	31.8	64.3	74.1	63.6		68.4	70.6%	7.8%	$12,324

Frequently Asked Questions about Pillager Elementary

What schools do graduates of Pillager Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pillager Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pillager Middle School
High : Pillager Senior High School

What district is Pillager Elementary in?

Pillager Public School District

How many students attend Pillager Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 521 students attended Pillager Elementary.

Is Pillager Elementary a good school?

Pillager Elementary ranks 383^rd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pillager Elementary?

Students at Pillager Elementary are 94% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 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.