Summary:
ZIP code 56252, covering Kerkhoven, Minnesota, contains just one school in this data set: Kerkhoven Secondary, a public school serving grades 7–12 with 382 students — meaning this single building is both the local middle school and high school, operating within the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg district (ranked 259th of 458 districts statewide, 2 stars).
Its clearest strength is getting students to graduation: the 2024-25 graduation rate of 93.3% is 8.4 points above the state's 84.9%, and the dropout rate of 1.6% is less than half the state's 4.2%. Seventh grade is a bright spot, beating the state in math (47.9 vs 40.3) and essentially matching it in reading (42.9 vs 43.5). The school also improved in every tested subject in 2025-26 while the state declined slightly in all three, narrowing the gap to the state in math (33.1 vs 44.9), reading (34.8 vs 48.6), and science (17.1 vs 25.5). Science is the only subject where the school outpaces its own district (+1.8) and posted the biggest one-year gain (+4.9 points). Its state rank has moved modestly upward, from 294th (2023-24) to 267th (2025-26), with percentile rising from 39 to 44.
The main weakness is proficiency: about a third of students meet benchmarks in math and reading, and science is the lowest result. Eighth grade is the sharp pressure point, sitting 21.6 points below the state in math, 20.7 below in reading, and at 7% in science — a weakness consistent across all three subjects. Completion outcomes are strong, but the school remains a stable 2-star building. Context: 33.25% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and the student–teacher ratio is 16.8, so a single staffing change can visibly move one grade's results.
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