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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 56303

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At a glance

Schools

1,641

Students

Districts

Top rankedWestwood Elementary606^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Saint Cloud Math and Science Academy up 23 spots statewide this year

See the top-ranked Minnesota schools →

Summary:

ZIP code 56303 is home to four elementary schools serving about 1,641 students in grades PK–5 and K–5, split between the St. Cloud Public School District and two charter operators, with proficiency below Minnesota averages across the board.

Westwood Elementary is the strongest school in this ZIP. It has the highest 2025–26 rank percentile (30), the only 2-star rating, and the best all-grade results in Math (39.0%), Reading (39.1%), and Science (21.9%). Its 4th-grade Math score of 52.5% is the highest single grade-subject result in the group and just 2.7 points below the state average. It also has the lowest free/reduced-lunch rate (59.70%) and beats district averages by wide margins. Madison Elementary is the largest school (704 students) and lands mid-pack: it tops district averages in all three subjects but trails Westwood and declined slightly year over year, with Math falling from 38.5% in 3rd grade to 21.8% in 5th.

The two high-poverty charters diverge sharply. Saint Cloud Math and Science Academy has the lowest student–teacher ratio (10.4) and improved in Math, Reading, and Science from 2024–25 to 2025–26, though its rank remains low (21st percentile, 1 star). Success Academy St. Cloud Elementary is the clear outlier on the low end: 4th percentile, 0 stars, the lowest proficiency in every subject (Math 13.3%, Reading 15.0%, Science 0.0%), the highest FRL rate (98.57%) and student–teacher ratio (17.5), and steep declines across all subjects. Notably, every school here is below the state average in Math, Reading, and Science, so families should weigh the relative strengths of Westwood and Math and Science Academy against the broad gaps across the ZIP.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)				MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Saint Cloud Math and Science Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	1025 18th St N	Saint Cloud	56303	Stearns County	Saint Cloud Math and Science Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(320) 774-2201	266	25	10.4	97.4%	4 (1.5%)	262 (98.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.9	683^rd of 869 public elementary schools	21.4%		21.2	706^th of 872 public elementary schools	19.0%	23	29.3	27.7	42.6	33.3	17.0	17.0	36.6	36.2	27.7	33.3	$14,533
Success Academy St. Cloud Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	809 12th St N	Saint Cloud	56303	Stearns County	Success Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 876-3050	140	8	17.5	—	0 (0.0%)	138 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	5.5	834^th of 869 public elementary schools	4.0%		11.4	780^th of 872 public elementary schools	10.6%	54	5.0	26.3	14.3	15.0	0.0	0.0	15.0	26.3	0.0	13.3
Madison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2850 10th Street N	Saint Cloud	56303	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 370-6330	704	52	13.6	68.9%	216 (30.7%)	294 (41.8%)	81 (11.5%)	21 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	90 (12.8%)	22.6	707^th of 869 public elementary schools	18.6%		25.5	683^rd of 872 public elementary schools	21.7%	24	32.8	33.6	34.5	33.6	17.6	17.6	38.5	27.6	21.8	29.8	$12,943
Westwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5800 Ridgewood Rd	Saint Cloud	56303	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 370-7630	531	36	14.7	59.7%	221 (41.6%)	106 (20.0%)	117 (22.0%)	21 (4.0%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (11.7%)	35.2	606^th of 869 public elementary schools	30.3%		39.6	575^th of 872 public elementary schools	34.1%	31	33.8	41.0	43.3	39.1	21.9	21.9	38.4	52.5	27.3	39.0	$15,046

Cities Near Zip Code 56303

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Saint Cloud	0.89 mi	24	423^rd
Sauk Rapids	1.98 mi	9	291^st
Waite Park	2.09 mi	5	438^th
Sartell	2.25 mi	10	40^th
Saint Joseph	5.69 mi	1	322^nd

See the top MN Minnesota cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.