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Willow River Secondary

Q: Is Willow River Secondary a good school?

Willow River Secondary ranks 221 st of 450 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

221^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 450 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 51% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Willow River Secondary is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in Willow River, Minnesota, with 191 students. The school is part of the Willow River Public School District, which is ranked 222 out of 446 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Willow River Secondary has consistently underperformed the state average on MCA-III proficiency tests in math and reading across all grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 11th grade math proficiency was 20.51% compared to the state average of 34.96%. Nearby schools like Barnum Secondary (28.13% proficient) and Moose Lake Secondary (34.48% proficient) significantly outperformed Willow River in math. However, the school's performance on science tests is slightly better, with the 2023-2024 end-of-course proficiency at 50%, compared to the state average of 43.47%.

Willow River Secondary's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 83.3% and 88.0% over the past few years, which is generally on par with the state average. However, the school's dropout rate has been higher than the state, ranging from 0.0% to 9.3% in recent years. The school also has a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 30.73% to 42.56% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in recent years. While the school has a relatively small student-teacher ratio, its overall SchoolDigger rating has been consistently low, ranging from 1 to 3 stars out of 5, indicating room for improvement in various areas.

205

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,122

Per pupil spending ?

38.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8142 Pine St
Willow River, MN 55795-0066

(218) 372-3131

District: Willow River Public School District

Feeder schools for Willow River Secondary:

Elementary:

Willow River Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.7%

American Indian:

2.9%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Willow River Secondary to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 41st percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓88% graduate in 4 years — above the Minnesota average (84%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Minnesota median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (36% vs 47% meeting standards)

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

!Math scores 20 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg42%

Minnesota avg47%

Middle school

288^th of 519

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 27 pts since 2015

From bottom 18% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

221^st of 450

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

222^nd of 446Willow River 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
2025	45.1	288 of 519	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.8	449 of 545	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.8	418 of 529	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.3	282 of 520	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.8	410 of 521	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.8	458 of 533	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.2	425 of 518	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.0	423 of 523	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.9	435 of 508	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.6	424 of 516	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	21.4	413 of 490	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.7	381 of 488	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.4	369 of 469	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.9	384 of 478	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.0	389 of 454	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.5	195 of 230	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	30.1	340 of 409	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	35.4	311 of 403	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	39.4	308 of 406	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	39.6	300 of 396	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	40.1	289 of 387	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	24.8	354 of 450	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	394 of 474	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	354 of 455	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.9	264 of 467	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.1	375 of 443	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.8	336 of 439	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.4	240 of 436	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	56.9	165 of 432	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.8	404 of 473	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	351 of 459	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.6	157 of 404	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.0	287 of 399	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.7	347 of 415	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	301 of 401	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	68.1	125 of 452	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	20.5	399 of 479	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	386 of 464	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.0	281 of 476	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.0	309 of 437	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.6	435 of 454	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.8	407 of 438	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	26.5	246 of 307	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	245 of 253	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	321 of 415	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	427 of 440	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.9	415 of 436	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.2	329 of 438	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.5	403 of 422	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.2	413 of 428	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	410 of 428	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	56.9	221 of 450	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.1	261 of 480	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.2	312 of 476	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.7	358 of 472	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	359 of 428	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	373 of 492	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.7	372 of 494	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.0	355 of 489	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	46.3	313 of 489	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.8	296 of 504	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.5	325 of 483	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.5	252 of 534	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	35.8	374 of 539	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	33.7	381 of 545	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.8	233 of 540	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.7	135 of 234	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	35.3	348 of 460	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	31.4	352 of 463	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	38.8	330 of 450	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	57.7	289 of 452	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	56.0	289 of 433	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	53.3	183 of 358	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.5	254 of 403	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.9	324 of 396	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.6	269 of 388	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.3	268 of 339	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	303 of 401	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.4	358 of 395	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	60.7	120 of 333	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.8	257 of 389	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	83.8	36 of 393	90.8%	★★★★★
2021	27.9	213 of 270	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.3	277 of 374	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	47.3	213 of 377	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	233 of 405	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.6	144 of 398	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	9.9	372 of 403	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.6	332 of 351	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.3	371 of 411	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	60.2	173 of 398	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2021	16.0	158 of 173	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	214 of 376	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	303 of 402	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.8	320 of 398	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	361 of 401	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.8	339 of 364	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.0	367 of 412	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.5	367 of 414	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Male (2025)72nd percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile+17 vs school

White (2025)23rd percentile-22 vs school

Female (2025)21st percentile-23 vs school

Special Education (2024)20th percentile~ school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile~ school

Male (2025)44th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2021)9th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Reading49%~ state avg

Math25%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Willow River Secondary

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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
Willow River Secondary	Public	7-12	8142 Pine St	Willow River	55795	Pine County	Willow River Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 372-3131	205	16	13.0	38.5%	192 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	56.9	221^st of 450 public high schools	50.9%		49.1	261^st of 480 public high schools	45.6%	40	16.1	37.1	20.5	24.8	40.0	44.4	63.3	49.0	$13,122
Moose Lake Secondary	Public	7-12	4812 County Rd 10	Moose Lake	55767	Carlton County	Moose Lake Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 485-4435	276	20	13.8	28.6%	256 (92.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	51.1	248^th of 450 public high schools	44.9%		86.4	42^nd of 480 public high schools	91.3%	206	34.6	61.1	34.5	42.7	35.9	48.7	42.9	41.7	$12,437
McF-Moose Lake/Willow River	Public	9-12	1000 Lakeshore Dr	Moose Lake	55767	Carlton County	Minnesota Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(218) 485-5025	3	0			0 (0.0%)	1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
East Central Senior Secondary	Public	7-12	61085 State Highway 23	Finlayson	55735	Pine County	East Central School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 245-6015	309	22	14.0	37.5%	255 (82.5%)	6 (1.9%)	10 (3.2%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.8%)	31.5	337^th of 450 public high schools	25.1%		34.6	336^th of 480 public high schools	30.0%	1	30.8	14.3	24.5	23.1	35.9	42.9	29.2	35.7	$13,146
Crossroads Area Learning Center	Public	7-12	61085 State Highway 23	Finlayson	55735	Pine County	East Central School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 245-6016	32	2	16.0	71.9%	22 (68.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)									$10,760
Barnum Secondary	Public	7-12	3675 County Rd 13	Barnum	55707	Carlton County	Barnum Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 389-3273	312	19	16.1	27.2%	275 (88.1%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.6%)	65.9	162^nd of 450 public high schools	64.0%		78.6	82^nd of 480 public high schools	82.9%	80	51.0	31.0	28.1	36.3	46.9	42.9	65.1	51.5	$12,691

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow River Secondary

What schools feed into Willow River Secondary?

Willow River Secondary is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Willow River Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Willow River Secondary?

Students at Willow River Secondary are 94% White, 3% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Willow River Secondary in?

Willow River Public School District

How many students attend Willow River Secondary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 205 students attended Willow River Secondary.

Is Willow River Secondary a good school?

Willow River Secondary ranks 221^st of 450 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Willow River Secondary!

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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.