Summary:
ZIP code 55731 covers Ely, Minnesota, and includes three public schools in the Ely Public School District — one elementary (PK–5), one middle (6–8), and one high school (9–12) — serving 528 students combined. The district overall ranks 113 of 458 statewide, in the 75th percentile with 4 stars, but that strong district profile hides very different results at each school.
Memorial High School is the standout. It ranks 67 of 473 high schools, in the 86th percentile with 4 stars, and has climbed steadily — 74th percentile in 2023–24, 79th in 2024–25, and 86th in 2025–26. Its graduation rate is 97.9% versus the state's 84.9%, and its dropout rate is 0.0% versus 4.2%. Reading (73.5%) and science (52.9%) proficiency are far above district and state levels. The clear exception is math: only 12.5% proficient all-grade, compared with 44.9% statewide, and 11th-grade math is also 12.5%. Math also fell by nearly 22 percentage points year over year, while reading and science improved.
Washington Elementary has the highest free/reduced lunch rate, 38.81%, yet still beats the district and state in math (53.3%), reading (51.0%), and science (34.3%). Its concern is momentum: reading dropped from 65.0% to 51.0%, and its rank percentile slipped from 78 to 64. Memorial Middle School is the weakest of the three, below district and state in all subjects — math 38.3%, reading 42.9%, and science just 14.9% — while carrying the highest student-teacher ratio at 18.1. Bright spots include 6th-grade reading at 58.1% and 7th-grade math at 46.4%. Overall, the high school excels in reading, science, and graduation; the elementary school is solid but declining; and the middle school lags across the board.
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