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South Washington Alternative High School

Public Grades 6-12

Summary

South Washington Alternative High School is a public high school serving grades 10-12 in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, with a relatively small student population of 85 students. The school faces significant challenges compared to other nearby high schools in the South Washington County Schools district.

Academically, South Washington Alternative High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Minnesota high schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's 4-year graduation rate is only 41.6%, much lower than the state average and the graduation rates of nearby schools like East Ridge High School (94.6%) and Park High School (91.0%). Correspondingly, South Washington Alternative High School has had high dropout rates, reaching as high as 23.9% in the 2017-2018 school year.

The school's student population is more racially diverse compared to the other nearby high schools, with a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. However, this diversity is not reflected in the higher academic performance of the school. South Washington Alternative High School's academic performance is significantly below the averages for the South Washington County Schools district and the state of Minnesota as a whole, across all subject areas and grade levels.

Students ?

7.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,479

Per pupil spending ?

49.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8400 E Point Douglas Rd S
Cottage Grove, MN 55016-3324

(651) 425-7001

District: South Washington County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.2%

Hispanic:

23.7%

African American:

14.4%

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Compare South Washington Alternative High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 27th percentile in 2012 → 3rd in 2023

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 7 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (0% vs 45% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Minnesota average (33% vs 85%)

!Dropout rate above the Minnesota average (22% vs 4%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school0%

District avg52%

Minnesota avg45%

Not ranked this year

South Washington Alternative High School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

135^th of 446South 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
2023	5.2	461 of 476	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.1	452 of 472	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.0	437 of 492	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	6.4	449 of 494	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.0	443 of 489	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.2	435 of 489	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.1	407 of 504	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	6.2	439 of 483	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	8.1	456 of 534	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.0	392 of 539	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	8.9	468 of 545	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	21.0	403 of 540	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	8.2	419 of 460	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.4	415 of 463	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	6.7	427 of 450	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	12.2	402 of 452	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	11.9	379 of 433	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2023	6.6	380 of 393	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.6	358 of 370	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.9	361 of 374	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	3.5	390 of 411	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.6	380 of 398	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	2.3	403 of 412	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.7	405 of 414	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2019)5th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)3rd percentile~ school

White (2019)2nd percentile-9 vs school

★

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Schools Near South Washington Alternative High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

School	Students/Teachers	Ranking (2025)	Ranking (2024)	MCA-III Math (2025)	MCA-III Reading (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
South Washington Alternative High School	Public	6-12	8400 E Point Douglas Rd S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-7001	97	13	7.2	49.5%	40 (41.2%)	14 (14.4%)	23 (23.7%)	8 (8.2%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (11.3%)							(n/a)	0.0	0.0			$24,479
Great Rivers Adult Education	Public	10-12	8400 E Point Douglas Rd S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-2341	7	0			4 (57.1%)	1 (14.3%)	1 (14.3%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)							(n/a)					$8,857
Park High School	Public	9-12	8040 80th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-3702	1,992	95	21.0	28.7%	1,172 (58.8%)	193 (9.7%)	260 (13.1%)	206 (10.3%)	6 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	155 (7.8%)	48.7	262^nd of 450 public high schools	41.8%	51.6	248^th of 480 public high schools	48.3%	14	28.7	28.7	43.6	43.6	$11,998
Next Step Transition Program	Public	12	7155 80th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-5104	86	4	22.4	44.2%	53 (61.6%)	12 (14.0%)	8 (9.3%)	5 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.3%)							(n/a)					$23,298
East Ridge High School	Public	9-12	4200 Pioneer Dr	Woodbury	55129	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-2301	2,072	85	24.2	14.6%	1,194 (57.6%)	227 (11.0%)	157 (7.6%)	337 (16.3%)	7 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	148 (7.1%)	89.9	27^th of 450 public high schools	94.0%	89.3	26^th of 480 public high schools	94.6%	1	51.7	51.7	68.1	68.1	$11,060
Simley Alternative Program	Public	9-12	2920 80th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7000	25	2	13.7	76.0%	7 (28.0%)	1 (4.0%)	14 (56.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (12.0%)							(n/a)	0.0	0.0			$3,587
199 Online High School	Public	9-12	2920 80th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7009	0	3	12.1		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Simley Senior High	Public	9-12	2920 80th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7000	1,030	45	23.1	48.3%	411 (39.9%)	113 (11.0%)	359 (34.9%)	57 (5.5%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (8.3%)	29.6	342^nd of 450 public high schools	24.0%	25.3	371^st of 480 public high schools	22.7%	29	15.9	15.9	37.6	37.6	$13,480
Hastings Alternative Center	Public	9-12	200 General Sieben Dr	Hastings	55033	Dakota County	Hastings Public School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 480-7690	32	2	15.7	53.1%	17 (53.1%)	3 (9.4%)	3 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (25.0%)							(n/a)	0.0	0.0			$17,677
HOA High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	200 General Sieben Dr	Hastings	55033	Dakota County	Hastings Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(651) 480-7470	13	0		46.2%	11 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.7%)							(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about South Washington Alternative High School

What is the racial makeup of South Washington Alternative High School?

Students at South Washington Alternative High School are 41% White, 24% Hispanic, 14% African American, 11% Two or more races, 8% Asian, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend South Washington Alternative High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 97 students attended South Washington Alternative High School.

What district is South Washington Alternative High School in?

South Washington County Schools

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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.

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 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
South Washington Alternative High School	Public	6-12	8400 E Point Douglas Rd S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-7001	97	13	7.2	49.5%	40 (41.2%)	14 (14.4%)	23 (23.7%)	8 (8.2%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (11.3%)								(n/a)	0.0	0.0			$24,479
Great Rivers Adult Education	Public	10-12	8400 E Point Douglas Rd S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-2341	7	0			4 (57.1%)	1 (14.3%)	1 (14.3%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$8,857
Park High School	Public	9-12	8040 80th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-3702	1,992	95	21.0	28.7%	1,172 (58.8%)	193 (9.7%)	260 (13.1%)	206 (10.3%)	6 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	155 (7.8%)	48.7	262^nd of 450 public high schools	41.8%		51.6	248^th of 480 public high schools	48.3%	14	28.7	28.7	43.6	43.6	$11,998
Next Step Transition Program	Public	12	7155 80th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-5104	86	4	22.4	44.2%	53 (61.6%)	12 (14.0%)	8 (9.3%)	5 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.3%)								(n/a)					$23,298
East Ridge High School	Public	9-12	4200 Pioneer Dr	Woodbury	55129	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-2301	2,072	85	24.2	14.6%	1,194 (57.6%)	227 (11.0%)	157 (7.6%)	337 (16.3%)	7 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	148 (7.1%)	89.9	27^th of 450 public high schools	94.0%		89.3	26^th of 480 public high schools	94.6%	1	51.7	51.7	68.1	68.1	$11,060
Simley Alternative Program	Public	9-12	2920 80th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7000	25	2	13.7	76.0%	7 (28.0%)	1 (4.0%)	14 (56.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (12.0%)								(n/a)	0.0	0.0			$3,587
199 Online High School	Public	9-12	2920 80th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7009	0	3	12.1		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Simley Senior High	Public	9-12	2920 80th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7000	1,030	45	23.1	48.3%	411 (39.9%)	113 (11.0%)	359 (34.9%)	57 (5.5%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (8.3%)	29.6	342^nd of 450 public high schools	24.0%		25.3	371^st of 480 public high schools	22.7%	29	15.9	15.9	37.6	37.6	$13,480
Hastings Alternative Center	Public	9-12	200 General Sieben Dr	Hastings	55033	Dakota County	Hastings Public School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 480-7690	32	2	15.7	53.1%	17 (53.1%)	3 (9.4%)	3 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (25.0%)								(n/a)	0.0	0.0			$17,677
HOA High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	200 General Sieben Dr	Hastings	55033	Dakota County	Hastings Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(651) 480-7470	13	0		46.2%	11 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.7%)								(n/a)