Summary:
ZIP code 55719 covers Chisholm, Minnesota, and is home to three public schools serving roughly 640 students in total, all part of the Chisholm Public School District: Vaughan-Steffensrud Elementary (grades PK–3, 207 students), Chisholm Elementary (grades 4–6, 142 students), and Chisholm Secondary (grades 7–12, 291 students). There are no alternative schools in the area, so local families move through these three buildings as their children progress.
Vaughan-Steffensrud Elementary is the strongest performer. In 2025–2026 its all-grades proficiency was 50.0% in math — above the district's 22.8% and the state's 44.9% — and 45.5% in reading, above the district's 33.7% but slightly under the state's 48.6%. Chisholm Elementary beats the district in every reported 2025–2026 subject and tops the state in science (27.7% vs 25.5%), although its math score of 26.7% is still far below the state's 44.9%. Both elementaries run similar class sizes, at about 12.6 to 12.8 students per teacher.
Chisholm Secondary is the main area of concern. In 2025–2026, all-grades proficiency was 11.7% in math (state 44.9%), 18.4% in reading (state 48.6%), and 13.7% in science (state 25.5%). Reading holds near 46% through grade 6, then falls to 9.6% in 7th grade, while math slides from 50% in 3rd grade to 6.7% in 8th grade. The graduation rate of 83.6% is close to the state's 84.9%, but the dropout rate of 8.1% is nearly double the state's 4.2%. Its state rank dropped from the 40th percentile in 2023–2024 to 21st in 2024–2025 and 24th in 2025–2026, falling from 2 stars to 1 star. With small enrollments, year-to-year percentages can shift on just a few students.
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