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St. James Northside Elementary

Q: Is St. James Northside Elementary a good school?

St. James Northside Elementary ranks 630 th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

630^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 872 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

St. James Northside Elementary is a public elementary school serving 492 students in grades K-5 in the St. James Public School District in Saint James, Minnesota. The school has seen a decline in its academic performance over the past several years, dropping from a high ranking of 197 out of 870 Minnesota elementary schools in 2018-2019 to a ranking of 630 out of 872 in 2024-2025.

While the school's performance on state assessments is generally below the state average, there are some notable differences across student subgroups. St. James Northside Elementary has seen relatively strong performance from Hispanic students and English Language Learners, but its Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status students have struggled, ranking in the bottom quartile of Minnesota elementary schools. The school's high free and reduced lunch rate, which has increased from 51.97% in 2021-2022 to 66.04% in 2022-2023, suggests a need to consider the socioeconomic challenges facing the student population and how to best support them.

Compared to nearby schools, St. James Northside Elementary has a higher student-teacher ratio than some of its counterparts, such as Truman Elementary and Comfrey Elementary. This may be a contributing factor to the school's academic challenges and could warrant further investigation into staffing levels and the ability to provide individualized attention and support for students.

502

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,011

Per pupil spending ?

59%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1273 10th Ave N
Saint James, MN 56081-0509

(507) 375-3325

District: St. James Public School District

Students who attend St. James Northside Elementary usually attend:

High:

St. James Middle/High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.3%

White:

35.1%

Two or more races:

1.4%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare St. James Northside Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (38% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

!Reading scores 15 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg38%

Minnesota avg47%

630^th of 872

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

282^nd of 446St. James 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
2025	31.5	630 of 872	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.5	579 of 881	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.1	429 of 845	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	516 of 858	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.9	600 of 869	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.4	197 of 870	77.4%	★★★★☆
2018	64.6	329 of 847	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.6	399 of 853	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.9	463 of 848	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.6	483 of 840	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	31.7	642 of 826	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	27.3	670 of 824	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	26.4	697 of 820	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.0	690 of 814	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	176 of 303	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.8	165 of 303	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.8	61 of 276	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	50 of 256	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	35.9	117 of 175	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	80.3	15 of 239	93.7%	★★★★★
2018	76.5	30 of 242	87.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	613 of 799	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.3	509 of 809	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.3	425 of 787	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	457 of 799	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.1	520 of 783	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	75.2	168 of 787	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	63.8	311 of 774	59.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	122 of 238	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.1	97 of 249	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.9	42 of 214	80.4%	★★★★☆
2022	59.4	57 of 209	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	57.0	61 of 153	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	87.3	17 of 219	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	81.4	22 of 220	90.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	592 of 764	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.2	492 of 793	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.8	224 of 774	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	53.8	320 of 663	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.1	389 of 683	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	82.3	62 of 740	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	72.4	153 of 728	79.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	584 of 812	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.4	583 of 826	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.6	410 of 799	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.3	516 of 808	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.9	583 of 784	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	70.2	231 of 798	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	61.4	336 of 779	56.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	469 of 562	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	498 of 572	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	420 of 524	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.4	482 of 500	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.2	403 of 417	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	76.3	76 of 515	85.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	52.2	352 of 714	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.3	267 of 730	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	237 of 712	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.8	227 of 725	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.2	389 of 710	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	82.2	72 of 722	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	74.9	132 of 712	81.5%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2025)51st percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2025)49th percentile+21 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)42nd percentile+14 vs school

Male (2025)28th percentile~ school

Female (2025)23rd percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)23rd percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2025)17th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Math42%-3 vs state

Reading34%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near St. James Northside 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCA-III Math (2025)					MCA-III Reading (2025)					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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
St. James Northside Elementary	Public	K-5	1273 10th Ave N	Saint James	56081	Watonwan County	St. James Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 375-3325	502	38	13.3	59.0%	176 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	318 (63.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	31.5	630^th of 872 public elementary schools	27.8%		40.5	579^th of 881 public elementary schools	34.3%	51	50.0	39.0	36.4		42.2	31.0	30.5	43.9		34.5	$13,011
Butterfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	440 Hubbard Ave	Butterfield	56120	Watonwan County	Butterfield-Odin Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 956-2771	110	13	8.6	75.5%	22 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (74.5%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.4	590^th of 872 public elementary schools	32.3%		30.1	654^th of 881 public elementary schools	25.8%	64	57.1	64.3	23.5	28.6	42.4	35.7	35.7	29.4	42.9	35.6	$16,268
Madelia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	121 E Main St	Madelia	56062	Watonwan County	Madelia Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 642-3234	352	28	12.6	55.4%	158 (44.9%)	0 (0.0%)	187 (53.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.1%)	33.6	612^th of 872 public elementary schools	29.8%		37.1	600^th of 881 public elementary schools	31.9%	12	40.4	37.0	18.2	45.8	35.8	42.3	17.4	34.1	52.1	36.8	$12,163
Truman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	401 E 1st St S	Truman	56088	Martin County	Truman Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 776-2111	136	14	9.9	57.4%	115 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.1%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	12 (8.8%)	31.5	631^st of 872 public elementary schools	27.6%		40.5	578^th of 881 public elementary schools	34.4%	53	26.3	52.9	38.9	23.1	35.8	26.3	31.3	55.6	30.8	36.4	$13,534
Mountain Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	450 12th St N	Mountain Lake	56159	Cottonwood County	Mountain Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 427-2325	257	21	12.0	63.0%	130 (50.6%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (33.1%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	29 (11.3%)	35.5	594^th of 872 public elementary schools	31.9%		41.9	569^th of 881 public elementary schools	35.4%	25	41.9	38.6	38.5	31.8	37.2	30.0	36.4	38.5	50.0	39.6	$12,056
Trimont Elementary	Public	3-6	77 W Beech St	Trimont	56176	Martin County	Martin County West School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 639-2071	200	15	13.6	36.5%	177 (88.5%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (5.0%)	2 (1.0%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	48.2	492^nd of 872 public elementary schools	43.6%		61.4	362^nd of 881 public elementary schools	58.9%	130	58.3	51.9	34.0	46.9	48.0	41.7	41.2	48.9	40.8	43.1	$11,420
Comfrey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	305 Ochre St W	Comfrey	56019	Brown County	Comfrey Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 877-3491	57	6	8.9	42.1%	53 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.5%)	2 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					51.9					70.4	$16,323

Frequently Asked Questions about St. James Northside Elementary

Is St. James Northside Elementary a good school?

St. James Northside Elementary ranks 630^th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of St. James Northside Elementary attend?

Students who attend St. James Northside Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : St. James Middle/High School

How many students attend St. James Northside Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended St. James Northside Elementary.

What district is St. James Northside Elementary in?

St. James Public School District

What is the racial makeup of St. James Northside Elementary?

Students at St. James Northside Elementary are 63% Hispanic, 35% White, 1% Two or more races.

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Schools in Saint James, MN

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 2025

2022–23 graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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.