Summary:
ZIP code 56137 is home to a single school — Heron Lake-Okabena Elementary — an elementary school serving grades PK–6 with 123 students in the Heron Lake-Okabena School District, and the area has 0 middle schools, 0 high schools, and 0 alternative schools, so families here look elsewhere after 6th grade. Keep in mind that state test results cover only tested grades (generally grades 3–6, with Science in grade 5), so the "all grades" numbers do not represent all 123 PK–6 students.
The school ranks 291 of 869 (67th percentile, 3 stars) for 2025–2026, a major jump from 548 of 872 (37th percentile, 2 stars) in 2024–2025 and 615 of 881 (30th percentile, 2 stars) in 2023–2024 — a gain of 324 rank positions and 37 percentile points over two years. The district overall sits at 1 star and the 26th percentile, making the elementary a clear bright spot. In 2025–2026, school-wide proficiency beat both district and state in every subject: Math 53.3% versus 35.7% district and 44.9% state; Reading 51.7% versus 33.6% and 48.6%; Science 40.0% versus 15.8% and 25.5%. All three subjects improved year over year, moving from below state in Math and Reading in 2024–2025 to above state now.
Grade-level results vary. Strengths include 3rd grade Math (76.9% vs 57.9% state) and 5th grade Reading (66.7% vs 54.5%), plus 5th grade Science (40.0% vs 25.9%). Areas trailing the state are 4th grade Math (46.2% vs 55.2%) and Reading (38.5% vs 48.8%), and 6th grade Reading (47.4% vs 53.4%). With a 10.5 student-teacher ratio (roughly 12 teachers) and 50.41% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025, cohorts are small and percentages can shift sharply from one year to the next.
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