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Verndale Secondary

Public Grades 7-12

396^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 16% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Verndale Secondary is a 7–12 high school serving 231 students in the small rural community of Verndale, Minnesota, part of the Verndale Public School District. The district ranks 356th of 458 in Minnesota (22nd percentile, 1 star), and the school itself ranks 396th of 473 in 2025–2026 (16th percentile, 1 star) — the lowest percentile in its available rank history. Its ratings have generally moved between 1 and 2 stars, with stronger years in 2021–2022 (46th percentile), 2023–2024 (43rd), and 2024–2025 (34th).

Academically, 2025–2026 all-grade proficiency is low: 14% in math, 29.8% in reading, and 5.6% in science, each below both district and state averages. Among nearby high schools with reported data, Verndale is lowest in all three subjects — New York Mills Secondary posts 54.9% in math and 50% in reading, Sebeka Secondary 39.8% and 42.4%, Bertha Secondary 28.7% and 41%, Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High 36.4% and 37%, and Staples-Motley Senior High 25% and 41.7%. (White Pine Academy's scores are suppressed by the state and cannot be compared.) Science is the sharpest weakness at 5.6% versus 25.5% statewide, and math has stayed persistently low for years without a sustained upward trend.

Completion is a relative strength: 91.4% graduated in 2024–2025, above the state's 84.9%, though the 5.7% dropout rate exceeds the state's 4.2% and every nearby school except Wadena-Deer Creek. The student–teacher ratio is 11.9, second-lowest in the comparison group and improved from 15.4 in 2022–2023, and the free/reduced-lunch rate has fallen to 46.75% from 58.78%. Even so, subgroup effectiveness ranks remain low, particularly for male and low-income students.

231

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,617

Per pupil spending ?

46.8%

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

Feeder schools for Verndale Secondary:

Elementary:

Verndale Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.2%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Hispanic:

3.9%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Verndale Secondary to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Strengths

✓91% graduate in 4 years — above the Minnesota average (85%)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (18% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg32%

Minnesota avg43%

Middle school

457^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

396^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	457 of 546	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.1	441 of 519	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	448 of 545	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	509 of 529	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.9	402 of 520	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.1	383 of 521	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.3	349 of 533	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.8	407 of 518	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.5	393 of 523	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.5	353 of 508	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.0	250 of 516	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	45.6	287 of 490	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.9	298 of 488	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	67.8	144 of 469	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.9	287 of 478	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	36.5	343 of 454	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.8	351 of 409	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	32.9	326 of 403	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.1	324 of 406	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	45.8	263 of 387	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	356 of 467	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.1	332 of 450	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	357 of 474	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	4.7	445 of 455	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	367 of 467	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.4	341 of 443	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.7	306 of 439	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.1	353 of 436	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	327 of 458	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	358 of 432	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	365 of 473	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.6	457 of 459	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	50.2	195 of 404	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.4	222 of 399	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.1	198 of 415	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.3	273 of 401	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	11.3	446 of 483	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.0	430 of 452	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	437 of 479	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.8	444 of 464	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	316 of 437	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.1	318 of 454	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.3	360 of 438	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	9.5	417 of 435	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.6	409 of 415	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.7	424 of 440	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.8	433 of 436	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	411 of 438	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.0	369 of 422	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.5	385 of 428	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.5	396 of 428	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	396 of 473	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.6	296 of 450	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.0	276 of 480	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.1	375 of 476	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.6	253 of 472	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.6	340 of 428	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.8	363 of 492	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.6	301 of 494	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.5	352 of 489	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	35.3	352 of 489	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	48.6	305 of 504	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	62.7	207 of 483	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.4	340 of 534	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	62.9	242 of 539	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.0	272 of 545	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.1	312 of 540	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.6	240 of 460	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	70.8	149 of 463	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.7	182 of 450	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	52.7	317 of 452	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	77.1	91 of 433	79.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	19.8	330 of 398	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.5	246 of 358	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.6	302 of 403	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.4	307 of 396	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.1	252 of 388	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.6	319 of 401	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.2	240 of 395	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	15.9	339 of 377	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	61.0	139 of 389	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.6	281 of 393	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.4	166 of 312	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.7	292 of 370	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.4	227 of 374	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	13.2	361 of 395	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.7	338 of 398	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	48.3	222 of 403	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	16.2	317 of 351	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.5	339 of 411	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	320 of 398	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	32.3	167 of 224	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	10.2	366 of 394	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.7	310 of 376	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	325 of 402	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	366 of 398	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	303 of 401	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	334 of 364	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	352 of 412	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.2	339 of 414	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2026)24th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)8th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)4th percentile-12 vs school

High school

Special Education (2026)25th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)17th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)10th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)9th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading30%-19 vs state

Math14%-31 vs state

Science6%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Verndale Secondary

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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 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 10th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science End of Course	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Verndale Secondary	Public	7-12	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 445-5184	231	19	11.9	46.8%	206 (89.2%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	19	396^th of 473 public high schools	16.3%		40.6	296^th of 450 public high schools	34.2%	100	30.0	30.3	29.3	29.8	3.1	7.7	5.6	13.3	17.2	11.8	14.0	$10,617
White Pine Academy	Public	5-12	2222 Industrial Drive	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	No	No	No	(218) 631-3505	11	3	4.3	72.7%	10 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)								(n/a)
Freshwater Wadena Alternative Learning Center	Public	9-12	624 Jefferson St N	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High	Public	7-12	600 Colfax Ave SW	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Wadena-Deer Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 632-2300	470	24	19.7	39.6%	408 (86.8%)	6 (1.3%)	21 (4.5%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.7%)	61	196^th of 473 public high schools	58.6%		58.6	211^th of 450 public high schools	53.1%	15	43.4	31.9	36.8	37.0	4.5	47.1	22.9	39.2	40.0	27.9	36.4	$12,843
Bertha Secondary	Public	7-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	213	16	13.3	45.1%	199 (93.4%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)	70.7	128^th of 473 public high schools	72.9%		53.6	234^th of 450 public high schools	48.0%	106	38.7	37.5	50.0	41.0	15.6	42.9	26.4	25.8	31.3	29.4	28.7	$13,767
FED Bertha-Hewitt Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
Freshwater Staples Alternative Learning Center	Public	7-12	1830 Airport Rd	Staples	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
Staples-Motley Senior High	Public	9-12	401 Centennial Dr	Staples	56479	Wadena County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 894-2431	309	19	16.3	38.2%	275 (89.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	53.1	238^th of 473 public high schools	49.7%		63.1	178^th of 450 public high schools	60.4%	60			41.7	41.7		32.9	32.9			25.0	25.0	$13,669
FED Staples-Motley Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	401 Centennial Dr	Staples	56479	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Sebeka Secondary	Public	7-12	200 1st St NW	Sebeka	56477	Wadena County	Sebeka Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 837-5101	233	17	13.6	48.9%	213 (91.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.4%)	32.2	329^th of 473 public high schools	30.4%		61.6	189^th of 450 public high schools	58.0%	140	48.0	53.1	28.6	42.4	12.5	18.8	15.6	44.0	50.0	25.8	39.8	$12,234

Frequently Asked Questions about Verndale Secondary

What is the racial makeup of Verndale Secondary?

Students at Verndale Secondary are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Is Verndale Secondary a good school?

Verndale Secondary ranks in the bottom 16.3% of Minnesota high schools.

What district is Verndale Secondary in?

Verndale Public School District

How many students attend Verndale Secondary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 231 students attended Verndale Secondary.

What schools feed into Verndale Secondary?

Verndale Secondary is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : 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 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.