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J.A. Hughes Elementary

Q: Is J.A. Hughes Elementary a good school?

J.A. Hughes Elementary ranks 317 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

317^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

J.A. Hughes Elementary serves 237 students in grades PK–6 in Red Lake Falls, a small town in northwest Minnesota, and is the elementary campus of the Red Lake Falls Public School District. In 2025–26 the school ranked 317th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools — the 64th percentile, or 3 stars — the same level as its district (167th of 458, also the 64th percentile). That match is unusual, since school and district standings often diverge. The longer history shows a rise and a partial retreat: the school sat near the 44th–47th percentile from 2017–18 through 2020–21, climbed to an 84th-percentile peak (top 16% statewide) in 2023–24, then eased back to 71st and now 64th.

Its core academics remain the main selling point. In 2025–26, 57.7% of students were proficient in reading and 53.8% in math, beating both the district and the state (48.6% reading, 44.9% math). Reading runs 7.2 points ahead of the next-best nearby school, and J.A. Hughes is the only school in its comparison group above the state average in both subjects. Class sizes are the smallest in that group, at 9.9 students per teacher, and the school outranks Win-E-Mac Elementary, Red Lake County Central Elementary, Challenger Elementary and Highland Elementary.

Two items are worth watching. Science is the clear weak spot at 11.8% proficiency — about half the state figure and last among peers — though the district's science scores fell over the same period, and Minnesota tests science only in grade 5, so each year reflects a different group of students. Second, the ranking for the school's low-income students fell from the 95th percentile (5 stars) in 2023–24 to the 40th percentile (2 stars) now, closely tracking the school's overall slide. Grade-level results also vary widely: 3rd and 6th grades are strong while 4th and 5th lag, and math has drifted down from 67.2% two years ago. Nearby schools declined similarly, so part of the 2025–26 dip looks regional rather than unique to this school.

237

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,033

Per pupil spending ?

42.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

91.7%

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

Exemptions: 2.8% (MMR)

601 1st St NE
Red Lake Falls, MN 56750-0399

(218) 253-2161

District: Red Lake Falls Public School District

Students who attend J.A. Hughes Elementary usually attend:

High:

Lafayette Secondary

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.8%

Two or more races:

9.3%

Hispanic:

5.1%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare J.A. Hughes Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 67th percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (51% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Above the Minnesota median (64th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg44%

Minnesota avg43%

317^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

167^th of 458Red Lake Falls 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	62.3	317 of 869	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.4	249 of 872	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	79.8	145 of 881	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	73.8	216 of 845	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	307 of 858	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.3	485 of 869	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.0	470 of 870	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.3	451 of 847	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	68.1	299 of 853	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.1	284 of 848	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.9	318 of 840	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	65.0	320 of 826	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.3	506 of 824	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.9	483 of 820	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	37.2	631 of 814	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.2	645 of 803	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.6	615 of 781	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	31.2	649 of 777	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	43.6	540 of 756	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	49.4	429 of 685	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	30.6	550 of 676	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	19.7	594 of 674	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	305 of 790	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.7	298 of 799	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.5	137 of 809	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.0	270 of 787	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.0	333 of 799	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.7	499 of 783	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	563 of 787	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	609 of 774	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	43.6	456 of 764	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	80.4	91 of 764	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	87.8	37 of 793	95.3%	★★★★★
2023	84.1	61 of 774	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	74.4	113 of 663	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	40.5	439 of 683	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.1	327 of 740	55.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	310 of 807	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.0	231 of 812	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	162 of 826	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.2	231 of 799	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	66.5	276 of 808	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.7	370 of 784	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.2	184 of 798	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	81.6	91 of 779	88.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	49.8	364 of 710	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.6	300 of 714	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.6	187 of 730	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	61.3	261 of 712	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	358 of 725	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.7	560 of 710	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.1	567 of 722	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.9	466 of 712	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)62nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)61st percentile~ school

White (2026)49th percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading58%+9 vs state

Math54%+9 vs state

Science12%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near J.A. Hughes 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
J.A. Hughes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	601 1st St NE	Red Lake Falls	56750	Red Lake County	Red Lake Falls Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 253-2161	237	24	9.9	42.2%	201 (84.8%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.3%)	62.3	317^th of 869 public elementary schools	63.5%		71.4	249^th of 872 public elementary schools	71.4%	68	56.0	44.1	61.8	67.6	57.7	11.8	11.8	76.0	52.9	29.4	62.2	53.8	91.7%	2.8%	$11,033
Red Lake County Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	260 Minnesota St S	Plummer	56748	Red Lake County	Red Lake County Central Public School	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 465-4222	178	18	9.9	40.4%	164 (92.1%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.4%)	55	401^st of 869 public elementary schools	53.9%		48.8	486^th of 872 public elementary schools	44.3%	85	41.7	36.4	64.0	53.1	50.5	33.3	33.3	50.0	36.4	32.0	46.9	40.7	≥ 95%	0%	$5,214
Challenger Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 County Road 61	Thief River Falls	56701	Pennington County	Thief River Falls School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 681-2345	727	55	13.3	43.2%	586 (80.6%)	3 (0.4%)	77 (10.6%)	4 (0.6%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.6%)	50.5	453^rd of 869 public elementary schools	47.9%		56.8	405^th of 872 public elementary schools	53.6%	48	36.5	50.8	51.5		46.9	23.9	23.9	55.8	59.2	32.8		48.2	95%	3.3%	$10,437
Highland Elementary	Public	K-5	801 N Central Ave	Crookston	56716	Polk County	Crookston Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 281-5600	474	38	12.6	57.8%	273 (57.6%)	18 (3.8%)	137 (28.9%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.6%)	43.9	529^th of 869 public elementary schools	39.1%		61.1	359^th of 872 public elementary schools	58.8%	170	38.1	48.8	48.7		45.0	22.4	22.4	48.8	48.1	32.9		43.6	91.2%	8.8%	$12,289
Win-E-Mac Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	23130 345th St SE	Erskine	56535	Polk County	Win-E-Mac School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 563-2900	247	16	15.2	33.6%	224 (90.7%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.9%)	57.8	376^th of 869 public elementary schools	56.7%		70.8	261^st of 872 public elementary schools	70.1%	115	32.1	33.3	56.3	51.4	44.0	21.2	21.2	75.9	64.3	46.9	50.0	58.4	75%	25%	$9,745

Frequently Asked Questions about J.A. Hughes Elementary

Is J.A. Hughes Elementary a good school?

J.A. Hughes Elementary ranks 317^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of J.A. Hughes Elementary attend?

Students who attend J.A. Hughes Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Lafayette Secondary

What district is J.A. Hughes Elementary in?

Red Lake Falls Public School District

How many students attend J.A. Hughes Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 237 students attended J.A. Hughes Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of J.A. Hughes Elementary?

Students at J.A. Hughes Elementary are 85% White, 9% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

Rate J.A. Hughes Elementary!

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Schools in Red Lake Falls, MN

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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.