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Riverside Central Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

691^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

The single most important starting point: Riverside Central Elementary School is a PK–6 school at 506 5th Ave SE in Rochester, Minnesota, serving 509 students as part of the Rochester Public School District. On the state's 2025–2026 rankings it placed 691st of 869 Minnesota elementaries — the 20th percentile, or the bottom fifth — even though its district as a whole sits mid-pack statewide. For about a decade before that, the school ranked between the 7th and 13th percentile, so the last two years are the strongest in the available record.

The single most striking comparison is with Lincoln K-8 School, which sits less than a mile away, enrolls nearly the same number of students (506 vs. 509), and shares the same district — yet ranks in the 86th percentile, with 62.4% proficiency in math versus Riverside's 35.6% and 61.3% in reading versus 30.2%. Nearby Folwell Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, and Jefferson Elementary School all rank in the top fifth of the state, while Franklin Elementary School, Pinewood Elementary School, and MNSync Online Elementary fill out the bottom quarter.

Academically, Riverside is below district and state averages in every subject tested: 35.6% proficient in math, 30.2% in reading, and 11.4% in science. Reading shows the widest gap, about 17 points behind the district. Science is both the lowest score and the only subject that slipped this year. Math and reading, though, have improved markedly since 2023–2024 — math roughly doubled. One bright spot: sixth graders outperformed both the district and the state in math and reading, though that cohort appears small and results there can swing widely. About 60% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the reported student–teacher ratio was 10.1 to 1.

509

Students ?

10.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,286

Per pupil spending ?

59.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

93.3%

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

Exemptions: 3.4% (MMR)

506 5th Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904-8888

(507) 328-3700

District: Rochester Public School District

Students who attend Riverside Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kellogg Middle School
High:	Century High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.8%

Hispanic:

33.4%

African American:

15.3%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Riverside Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2015 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (30% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Reading scores 18 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg41%

Minnesota avg43%

691^st of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 13% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Rochester Public School District

227^th of 458Rochester 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	23.9	691 of 869	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	708 of 872	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	6.7	820 of 881	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.7	780 of 858	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.2	790 of 869	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.1	773 of 870	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.6	768 of 847	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.8	759 of 853	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.5	735 of 848	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.1	741 of 840	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	11.3	752 of 826	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	13.9	744 of 824	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	19.7	731 of 820	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	24.0	700 of 814	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	26.1	684 of 803	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	31.8	359 of 434	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	53.3	442 of 781	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.6	486 of 777	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	44.5	532 of 756	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	28.8	575 of 685	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	39.8	496 of 676	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	19.5	596 of 674	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	18.2	279 of 315	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.8	205 of 298	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.5	267 of 310	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	250 of 282	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.0	172 of 227	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.4	156 of 283	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.9	203 of 266	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2018	17.4	114 of 134	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	20.4	283 of 305	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.5	250 of 303	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	285 of 303	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.7	231 of 256	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	166 of 175	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	34.3	164 of 239	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.5	223 of 242	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	640 of 790	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.5	629 of 799	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	750 of 809	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	688 of 799	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	6.8	725 of 783	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	675 of 787	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	704 of 774	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	155 of 256	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	141 of 238	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.8	224 of 249	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	194 of 209	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.2	138 of 153	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	168 of 219	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	206 of 220	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	23.2	9 of 10	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	12.3	717 of 764	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.7	661 of 764	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	730 of 793	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.0	608 of 663	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.3	606 of 683	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.3	673 of 740	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	666 of 728	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	21.9	661 of 807	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.3	706 of 812	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	6.9	775 of 826	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.9	784 of 808	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.9	719 of 784	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.9	738 of 798	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.3	711 of 779	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	443 of 579	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	538 of 562	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.3	549 of 572	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	477 of 500	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.6	411 of 417	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	480 of 515	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.8	407 of 463	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	447 of 710	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.1	429 of 714	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	3.9	728 of 730	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.6	709 of 725	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.5	699 of 710	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.0	715 of 722	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	703 of 712	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile+19 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile+17 vs school

Special Education (2026)23rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile~ school

Male (2026)18th percentile~ school

Asian (2018)15th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)11th percentile-9 vs school

Homeless (2024)10th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)7th percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)6th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math36%-9 vs state

Reading30%-18 vs state

Science11%-14 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, October 6, 2016

This school has a really nice vibe when you walk in. You can tell the teachers really care about their students. It has some unique challenges but most of the kids seem really happy and the staff is always positive. The principals seem really cool too, they have a great rapport with the kids and parents Close Quote

Schools Near Riverside Central Elementary School

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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 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Riverside Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	506 5th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 328-3700	509	0	10.1	59.7%	172 (33.8%)	78 (15.3%)	170 (33.4%)	24 (4.7%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (11.4%)	23.9	691^st of 869 public elementary schools	20.5%		20.8	708^th of 872 public elementary schools	18.8%	17	28.4	18.8	41.1	55.6			30.2	11.4		11.4	42.0	32.6	24.7	66.7			35.6	93.3%	3.4%	$17,286
Lincoln K-8 School	Public	K-8	1122 8th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3550	506	0	17.6	17.0%	333 (65.8%)	46 (9.1%)	25 (4.9%)	55 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.3%)	81.9	126^th of 869 public elementary schools	85.5%		74.6	212^th of 872 public elementary schools	75.7%	86	58.6	63.3	65.0	52.2	51.1	77.3	61.3	41.7	34.1	38.5	73.7	75.0	63.8	52.2	40.4	62.8	62.4	≥ 98%	0%	$11,594
MNSync Online Elementary	Public, Virtual	K-6	2130 College View Road East	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(507) 328-4830	68	0	11.1	61.8%	25 (36.8%)	21 (30.9%)	9 (13.2%)	2 (2.9%)	1 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (14.7%)								(n/a)							23.5										26.3
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 10th Ave NE	Rochester	55906	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3500	464	0	13.9	32.5%	294 (63.4%)	59 (12.7%)	34 (7.3%)	33 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.5%)	84.3	98^th of 869 public elementary schools	88.7%		84.9	94^th of 872 public elementary schools	89.2%	4	60.5	71.3	65.2				65.5	37.8		37.8	72.1	70.0	67.4				69.8	90.8%	5.7%	$13,443
Rochester Math & Science Elementary	Public, Charter	K-6	415 16th St SW	Rochester	55902	Olmsted County	Rochester Math And Science Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(507) 252-5995	322	21	15.4	93.2%	0 (0.0%)	321 (99.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	31.6	631^st of 869 public elementary schools	27.4%		25.5	684^th of 872 public elementary schools	21.6%	53	20.0	21.9	40.0	48.6			32.9	12.5		12.5	42.5	37.5	42.5	35.1			39.6			$17,173
Folwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	603 15th Ave SW	Rochester	55902	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3220	352	0	18.8	15.9%	218 (61.9%)	13 (3.7%)	37 (10.5%)	44 (12.5%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	34 (9.7%)	92.5	30^th of 869 public elementary schools	96.5%		84.4	101^st of 872 public elementary schools	88.4%	71	77.2	71.8	78.2				75.4	46.4		46.4	89.5	77.5	60.0				76.0	93.5%	3.2%	$11,376
Franklin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 9th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 328-3300	600	0	12.2	48.8%	270 (45.0%)	87 (14.5%)	124 (20.7%)	48 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (11.5%)	28.5	656^th of 869 public elementary schools	24.5%		30.3	644^th of 872 public elementary schools	26.1%	12	39.1	29.0	34.1				33.8	12.5		12.5	54.5	43.0	21.3				39.7	88%	9.8%	$15,056
Washington Elementary School	Public	K-5	1200 11th Ave NW	Rochester	55901	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3800	334	0	15.5	19.8%	185 (55.4%)	21 (6.3%)	21 (6.3%)	70 (21.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.1%)	79.4	156^th of 869 public elementary schools	82.0%		84.6	99^th of 872 public elementary schools	88.6%	57	60.8	77.2	62.0				67.1	26.0		26.0	68.6	83.9	52.0				68.8	96.5%	3.5%	$12,463
Pinewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2435 20th St SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-3630	380	0	15.1	45.0%	191 (50.3%)	54 (14.2%)	87 (22.9%)	9 (2.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.7%)	22.4	710^th of 869 public elementary schools	18.3%		21	707^th of 872 public elementary schools	18.9%	3	31.0	32.2	25.3				29.2	16.2		16.2	38.6	40.7	22.7				33.0	92.6%	5.6%	$11,782
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2435 20th St SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 328-3600	265	0	15.1	36.6%	146 (55.1%)	46 (17.4%)	44 (16.6%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.4%)	49.1	476^th of 869 public elementary schools	45.2%		58.5	388^th of 872 public elementary schools	55.5%	88	38.6	43.6	36.6				39.5	22.0		22.0	61.4	69.2	39.0				56.5	94.1%	5.9%	$12,148

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverside Central Elementary School

What district is Riverside Central Elementary School in?

Rochester Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Riverside Central Elementary School?

Students at Riverside Central Elementary School are 34% White, 33% Hispanic, 15% African American, 11% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 1% American Indian.

Is Riverside Central Elementary School a good school?

Riverside Central Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.5% of Minnesota elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Riverside Central Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Riverside Central Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kellogg Middle School
High : Century High School

How many students attend Riverside Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 509 students attended Riverside Central Elementary School.

Rate Riverside Central Elementary School!

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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.