Northome Elementary

Northome Elementary is a small PK–6 school serving 102 students in the rural northern Minnesota community of Northome, part of the South Koochiching School District. It is the smallest of the three schools in this comparison, and its district ranks 400th of 458 in Minnesota (13th percentile, 1 star), while the school itself ranked 706th of 869 in 2025–2026 (19th percentile, 1 star). That is the school's lowest percentile in its 10-year rank history, down from a peak of 38th percentile in 2022–2023. Nearby Blackduck Elementary (32nd percentile) and Kelliher Elementary (33rd percentile) both rank higher.

Test scores show where the gaps are. In 2025–2026, Northome's math proficiency was 23.6%, below Blackduck's 34.4%, Kelliher's 41.9%, and the state's 44.9%. Math has fallen about 20.6 points since 2022–2023. Science is the clearest weakness at 9.1%, compared with 20.8% at Blackduck, 19.0% at Kelliher, and 25.5% statewide. Reading is comparatively stronger at 38.2% — above Kelliher but below Blackduck and the state's 48.6% — and Northome actually beats Blackduck in 4th grade reading and Kelliher in 5th and 6th grade reading. Notably, the school outperforms its own district in math and reading, though not in science.

Structurally, Northome looks well-resourced on paper: its 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio of 7.4 is roughly half of Blackduck's 14.6 and about 55% of Kelliher's 13.4. It also serves a high-poverty population, with 68.63% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch — nearly identical to Kelliher's 68.45% and above Blackduck's 60.92%. Because of its small size, year-to-year numbers for individual grades and student groups can swing widely. Still, the most urgent red flags for parents are the steady four-year math decline and the very low 2025–2026 science proficiency.