Best High Schools in Zip Code 55720

The 55720 zip code area is home to two high schools: Cloquet Senior and Cloquet Area Alternative Education Programs. While both schools serve the same community, they exhibit stark differences in their academic performance and student demographics.

Cloquet Senior appears to be the stronger performing of the two, with higher statewide rankings, better test scores, and a lower free/reduced lunch rate compared to Cloquet Area Alternative Education Programs. The alternative school, serving grades 6-12, has a much smaller enrollment of 91 students and significantly lower test scores, indicating it likely serves a more disadvantaged student population.

Despite the performance gap, both schools had similar graduation and dropout rates in 2023-2024. This suggests the alternative school is effective at supporting students who may have otherwise dropped out of the traditional high school. The lower student-teacher ratio at the alternative school may be a contributing factor to its ability to keep students engaged and on track to graduate, despite their academic challenges. Overall, this analysis highlights the importance of examining school-level data to understand the unique needs and challenges faced by different student populations within the same community.