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Verndale Elementary

Q: Is Verndale Elementary a good school?

Verndale Elementary ranks 462 nd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

462^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Verndale Elementary is a PK–6 school in Verndale, MN, serving 253 students as part of the Verndale Public School District in a small central Minnesota community. In 2025–2026, it ranked 462nd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools, placing it in the 47th percentile with 2 stars.

The school’s recent trend is upward: it moved from 27th percentile in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 to 47th percentile in 2025–2026, the highest in the provided history. This is notably stronger than its district, which ranked 356th of 458 districts, in the 22nd percentile with 1 star. Reading is a relative strength at 51.6% proficiency, above the state’s 48.6% and above Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary, Staples-Motley Elementary, and Bertha Elementary; it is close to Sebeka Elementary but below New York Mills Elementary. Math is a weakness at 41.6%, below the state’s 44.9% and below most of those same nearby schools, and tied with Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary. Science is the clearest challenge: 18.8% proficiency, below the state’s 25.5% and below every nearby school with reported science data. The school also has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate in this nearby group, 41.5%, and a student-teacher ratio of 11.8.

Grade-level results show where to look closer. Math is very strong in 3rd grade (73.8%) but falls to 39.0% in 4th, 31.3% in 5th, and 17.9% in 6th, far below the state’s 39.5% in 6th grade. Reading is stronger overall but uneven: 3rd grade 57.1% vs. state 46.8%, 4th grade 35.0% vs. state 48.8%, 5th grade 62.5% vs. state 54.5%, and 6th grade 53.8% vs. state 53.4%. Science dropped from 41.94% in 2023–2024 to 18.8% in 2025–2026. Subgroup results are mixed: female students rank in the 65th percentile (3 stars) and low-income students in the 51st percentile (3 stars), while male students are in the 33rd percentile (2 stars) and special education students in the 20th percentile (1 star), down from 39th. Overall, Verndale is an improving, middle-of-the-pack school that outperforms its district and several nearby schools, with reading as its strength and upper-elementary math, science, and some subgroup results as the main areas to watch.

253

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,713

Per pupil spending ?

41.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

411 SW Brown St
Verndale, MN 56481-3000

(218) 445-5184

District: Verndale Public School District

Students who attend Verndale Elementary usually attend:

High:

Verndale Secondary

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.5%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Hispanic:

1.6%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Verndale Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 47th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg32%

Minnesota avg43%

462^nd of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

356^th of 458Verndale 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	49.8	462 of 869	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.4	501 of 872	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.2	566 of 881	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.8	619 of 845	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.2	626 of 858	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	597 of 869	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.3	584 of 870	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.6	557 of 847	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.2	550 of 853	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.3	579 of 848	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	53.3	478 of 840	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.9	584 of 826	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.7	635 of 824	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	60.7	390 of 820	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	48.4	528 of 814	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	70.9	216 of 803	73.1%	★★★★☆
2008	52.4	453 of 781	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.8	590 of 777	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	43.9	536 of 756	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	40.7	497 of 685	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	61.1	287 of 676	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2003	43.9	469 of 674	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	62.9	280 of 790	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.8	255 of 799	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.1	404 of 809	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.8	489 of 787	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	460 of 799	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	566 of 783	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.7	549 of 787	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.1	517 of 774	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	50.9	372 of 764	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.8	351 of 764	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.5	508 of 793	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	433 of 774	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.5	414 of 663	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.3	408 of 683	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.7	295 of 740	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.6	364 of 728	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	538 of 807	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.2	619 of 812	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	634 of 826	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.7	656 of 799	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.1	655 of 808	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.4	575 of 784	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.5	500 of 798	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.3	502 of 779	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	463 of 579	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	429 of 562	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.0	348 of 572	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	362 of 524	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.1	393 of 500	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	414 of 515	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	396 of 463	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	32.1	525 of 710	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	580 of 714	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.1	627 of 730	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	675 of 712	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	662 of 725	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	655 of 710	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.4	645 of 722	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	574 of 712	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)65th percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)51st percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)33rd percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)26th percentile-21 vs school

Special Education (2026)20th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading52%+3 vs state

Math42%-3 vs state

Science19%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Verndale 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 (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/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 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 All Grades	Total
Verndale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 445-5184	253	21	11.8	41.5%	239 (94.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	49.8	462^nd of 869 public elementary schools	46.8%		47.4	501^st of 872 public elementary schools	42.5%	39	57.1	35.0	62.5	53.8	51.6	18.8	18.8	73.8	39.0	31.3	17.9	41.6	$10,713
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	215 Colfax Ave SW	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Wadena-Deer Creek School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 632-2400	450	40	11.1	52.2%	387 (86.0%)	9 (2.0%)	21 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	23.5	698^th of 869 public elementary schools	19.7%		31.1	634^th of 872 public elementary schools	27.3%	64	23.1	31.8			27.7			41.0	42.0			41.6	$12,842
Bertha Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	293	16	17.9	51.2%	279 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	59.7	347^th of 869 public elementary schools	60.1%		57.4	400^th of 872 public elementary schools	54.1%	53	41.9	61.9	52.4	37.5	47.9	28.6	28.6	69.8	69.0	47.6	30.0	55.5	$12,003
Staples-Motley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1025 4th St NE	Staples	56479	Wadena County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 894-5400	308	24	13.1	55.8%	282 (91.6%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	38.8	573^rd of 869 public elementary schools	34.1%		33.8	609^th of 872 public elementary schools	30.2%	36	35.4	33.3			34.4			60.0	43.9			52.5	$12,285
Sebeka Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	200 1st St NW	Sebeka	56477	Wadena County	Sebeka Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 837-5101	218	22	9.9	61.9%	205 (94.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.1%)	58.3	371^st of 869 public elementary schools	57.3%		59.4	378^th of 872 public elementary schools	56.7%	7	50.0	72.4	45.2	44.4	52.3	29.0	29.0	78.8	75.9	19.4	27.8	49.6	$12,778
New York Mills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	209 N Hayes Ave	New York Mills	56567	Otter Tail County	New York Mills Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 385-4201	460	29	15.7	43.9%	422 (91.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	76.9	181^st of 869 public elementary schools	79.2%		79.9	149^th of 872 public elementary schools	82.9%	32	45.3	53.3	60.3	75.3	59.3	28.8	28.8	64.6	75.0	67.1	63.0	67.2	$9,458

Frequently Asked Questions about Verndale Elementary

What district is Verndale Elementary in?

Verndale Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Verndale Elementary?

Students at Verndale Elementary are 94% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

Is Verndale Elementary a good school?

Verndale Elementary ranks 462^nd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Verndale Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 253 students attended Verndale Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Verndale Elementary attend?

Students who attend Verndale Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Verndale Secondary

Rate Verndale Elementary!

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Schools in Verndale, MN

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

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

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.