Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 56201

Families in ZIP code 56201 have three elementary schools to choose from — Kennedy Elementary, Lakeland Elementary School, and Roosevelt Elementary — all serving grades PK–5 within the Willmar Public School District and together enrolling 1,875 students, an average of about 625 per school. The district itself is rated 1 star and ranks 331 of 458 in Minnesota, so the differences between these three schools matter when comparing options.

Roosevelt Elementary is the strongest performer overall: it ranks 567 of 869 (35th percentile, 2 stars), posts the best math score at 46.3% — above the state's 44.9% — and has improved its rank three years running. Kennedy Elementary, the largest school with 672 students, ranks 581 of 869 (33rd percentile, 2 stars) and made the biggest one-year jump, climbing 99 rank positions while improving in math, reading, and science; it also leads the group in reading (40.4%) and science (18.2%). Lakeland Elementary School ranks 731 of 869 (16th percentile, 1 star) and is the lowest scorer in every subject and grade level shown, though its reading, science, and rank all improved this year. It also has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (72.23%) and student-teacher ratio (13.3), while Kennedy Elementary has the lowest ratio at 12.2.

Across all three schools, science is the clear weak spot: scores range from 14.0% to 18.2%, below the district's 18.3% and far below the state's 25.5%. Reading is below the state's 48.6% everywhere, with Kennedy Elementary's 40.4% the best result. Math is more mixed — Roosevelt Elementary beats the state, Kennedy Elementary sits above the district but below the state, and Lakeland Elementary School trails both. Grade-level results swing widely: 5th-grade math is a bright spot at Kennedy Elementary (54.5%) and Roosevelt Elementary (52.6%), both above the state's 41.9%, while 4th-grade math is weak at Kennedy Elementary (25.6%) and Lakeland Elementary School (23.1%) against a state mark of 55.2%. Roosevelt Elementary's science drop, from 27.47% to 17.9%, is worth watching.