Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Minnesota test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Hillside Elementary

Q: Is Hillside Elementary a good school?

Hillside Elementary ranks 465 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

465^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Hillside Elementary is a PK–5 school of 417 students in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, one of nine elementary schools in South Washington County Schools (ISD 833). For 2025–26 it ranks 465th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools (46th percentile, 2 stars), just below the state midpoint. That placement reflects a long drift rather than a single bad year: Hillside was an 81st-percentile, 4-star school in 2015–16 and has mostly sat in the 44th–61st band since 2018–19.

Reading is the clearest weak point. Hillside trails both the state and its own district in reading at 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, and its 44.7% reading proficiency is the only subject where it falls below both benchmarks. Fifth grade is the steepest drop: 5th-grade math (33.8%) is 14.9 points below the district, and 4th-grade reading (39.1%) is 14.2 points below. Math also slipped sharply this year, from 54.1% to 47.7%, while the district barely moved. Science, tested only in 5th grade, beat both benchmarks this year (27.5%) but fell to 17.3% in 2024–25 — more likely small-cohort noise than a real curriculum collapse.

The encouraging news is Hillside's work with low-income students: its Low-SES subgroup has ranked in the 67th–76th statewide percentiles over three years, well above the school's overall rank. The fairest nearby comparison is Armstrong Elementary, half a mile away, which serves a higher poverty rate (37.2% vs. 31.7%) with the same 11.5 student-teacher ratio yet scores roughly 8 points higher in both math and reading. By contrast, Nuevas Fronteras Spanish Immersion has about half Hillside's poverty rate (18.4%) but nearly identical reading proficiency (45.1% vs. 44.7%), which makes Hillside's results look less weak than its rank implies. One trend to watch: male students rank at the 58th percentile statewide and female students at the 36th, a gap that has widened.

417

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,590

Per pupil spending ?

31.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8177 Hillside Tr S
Cottage Grove, MN 55016-3270

(651) 425-4001

District: South Washington County Schools

Students who attend Hillside Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cottage Grove Middle School
High:	Park High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.5%

Hispanic:

11.5%

Asian:

11.0%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Hillside Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2016

!Near the bottom of South Washington County Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg48%

Minnesota avg43%

465^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 35 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 16Elementary Schools in the South Washington County Schools

144^th of 458South Washington County Schools 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	49.6	465 of 869	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.9	448 of 872	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.3	363 of 881	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.8	473 of 845	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.9	382 of 858	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.9	459 of 869	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.8	340 of 870	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.8	206 of 847	75.7%	★★★★☆
2017	74.0	208 of 853	75.6%	★★★★☆
2016	77.2	158 of 848	81.4%	★★★★☆
2015	78.4	133 of 840	84.2%	★★★★☆
2014	79.4	114 of 826	86.2%	★★★★☆
2013	79.2	118 of 824	85.7%	★★★★☆
2012	64.3	331 of 820	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	61.3	370 of 814	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	69.6	242 of 803	69.9%	★★★★☆
2008	69.9	201 of 781	74.3%	★★★★☆
2007	73.0	160 of 777	79.4%	★★★★☆
2006	70.7	190 of 756	74.9%	★★★★☆
2005	64.7	237 of 685	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	65.7	231 of 676	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2003	46.6	444 of 674	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	509 of 790	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.4	464 of 799	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.7	360 of 809	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.6	460 of 787	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.6	426 of 799	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.1	383 of 783	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.3	345 of 787	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.9	255 of 774	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	45.4	132 of 256	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.4	43 of 214	79.9%	★★★★☆
2019	94.6	5 of 219	97.7%	★★★★★
2018	87.1	12 of 220	94.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	254 of 764	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.1	183 of 764	76.0%	★★★★☆
2024	67.0	229 of 793	71.1%	★★★★☆
2023	52.2	384 of 774	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.6	228 of 663	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.4	111 of 683	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	67.2	214 of 740	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	167 of 728	77.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	337 of 807	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.8	343 of 812	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.8	321 of 826	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.9	440 of 799	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.7	323 of 808	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.3	486 of 784	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.1	302 of 798	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.9	158 of 779	79.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	351 of 579	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.4	219 of 562	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.0	237 of 572	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	24.3	430 of 524	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.1	348 of 500	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.8	262 of 515	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.4	172 of 463	62.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	41.8	437 of 710	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.9	511 of 714	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.2	340 of 730	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.7	529 of 712	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.2	384 of 725	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.9	525 of 710	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.0	399 of 722	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.9	283 of 712	60.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile+20 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)48th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)39th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)38th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)36th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math48%+3 vs state

Reading45%-4 vs state

Science28%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Hillside Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Hillside Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Hillside Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)						MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)						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 (2025)	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 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Hillside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8177 Hillside Tr S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-4001	417	36	11.5	31.7%	244 (58.5%)	40 (9.6%)	48 (11.5%)	46 (11.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.1%)	49.6	465^th of 869 public elementary schools	46.5%		52.9	448^th of 872 public elementary schools	48.6%	17	45.3	39.1	48.8			44.7	27.5	27.5	56.4	54.7	33.8			47.7	$13,590
Armstrong Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8855 Inwood Ave S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-4101	325	28	11.5	37.2%	173 (53.2%)	33 (10.2%)	39 (12.0%)	43 (13.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (11.1%)	60.6	340^th of 869 public elementary schools	60.9%		49.3	480^th of 872 public elementary schools	45.0%	140	49.1	53.6	57.7			53.3	20.4	20.4	59.6	60.7	45.5			55.4	$15,934
Crestview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7830 80th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 425-3801	425	36	11.8	48.0%	218 (51.3%)	47 (11.1%)	59 (13.9%)	51 (12.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.5%)	43.3	533^rd of 869 public elementary schools	38.7%		30.5	641^st of 872 public elementary schools	26.5%	108	38.8	40.5	42.9			40.7	20.3	20.3	52.2	51.9	41.4			48.6	$14,724
Pine Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	9015 Hadley Ave S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-3901	502	38	13.0	27.3%	297 (59.2%)	48 (9.6%)	50 (10.0%)	69 (13.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.2%)	37.6	580^th of 869 public elementary schools	33.3%		34.4	602^nd of 872 public elementary schools	31.0%	22	42.1	34.6	44.2			40.7	13.8	13.8	60.6	42.3	29.8			44.4	$13,370
Grey Cloud Elementary	Public	K-5	9525 Indian Blvd S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-4201	797	50	15.8	16.4%	527 (66.1%)	78 (9.8%)	52 (6.5%)	83 (10.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (6.6%)	66.4	287^th of 869 public elementary schools	67.0%		67	301^st of 872 public elementary schools	65.5%	14	49.2	54.2	63.4			55.5	28.2	28.2	56.8	59.5	54.0			57.0	$12,798
Cottage Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7447 65th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-5801	432	31	14.1	22.0%	240 (55.6%)	49 (11.3%)	17 (3.9%)	83 (19.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.7%)	75.6	194^th of 869 public elementary schools	77.7%		81.1	136^th of 872 public elementary schools	84.4%	58	53.0	56.5	66.2			58.3	27.0	27.0	67.5	70.6	69.9			69.3	$14,065
Pullman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1260 Selby Ave	Saint Paul Park	55071	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 425-3601	420	35	11.8	39.8%	215 (51.2%)	33 (7.9%)	50 (11.9%)	65 (15.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (12.6%)	27.5	660^th of 869 public elementary schools	24.1%		32	624^th of 872 public elementary schools	28.4%	36	33.8	29.3	43.3			35.7	13.6	13.6	52.0	35.0	19.4			36.1	$14,778
Nuevas Fronteras Spanish Immersion	Public	K-5	1020 Third Street	Saint Paul Park	55071	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-3101	561	30	18.6	18.4%	309 (55.1%)	16 (2.9%)	180 (32.1%)	6 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (8.4%)	51	447^th of 869 public elementary schools	48.6%		60.6	363^rd of 872 public elementary schools	58.4%	84	34.8	48.9	52.3			45.1	26.7	26.7	50.0	68.9	31.4			50.4	$11,755
Newport Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	851 6th Ave	Newport	55055	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 425-4301	264	28	9.5	54.5%	111 (42.0%)	48 (18.2%)	28 (10.6%)	49 (18.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.1%)	23 (8.7%)	54.5	407^th of 869 public elementary schools	53.2%		54.8	426^th of 872 public elementary schools	51.1%	19	40.8	34.2	55.3			43.2	37.8	37.8	50.0	52.6	57.9			53.2	$16,288
STEAM Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-7	4100 66th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	STEAM Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 236-8280	77	5	15.1	88.3%	19 (24.7%)	49 (63.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						28.6								28.6

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillside Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Hillside Elementary?

Students at Hillside Elementary are 59% White, 12% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 10% African American, 9% Two or more races.

What district is Hillside Elementary in?

South Washington County Schools

What schools do graduates of Hillside Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hillside Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cottage Grove Middle School
High : Park High School

Is Hillside Elementary a good school?

Hillside Elementary ranks 465^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Hillside Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 417 students attended Hillside Elementary.

Rate Hillside Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Elementary School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Cottage Grove, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hillside Elementary!

Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresNewSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 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.