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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 56343

At a glance

School

138

Students

Top rankedWest Central Area South Elementary118^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools

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Biggest riser

West Central Area South Elementary up 252 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

For families in ZIP code 56343 (Kensington, MN), there is one elementary school: West Central Area South Elementary, a PK–4 school with 138 students in the West Central Area district, which ranks 68 out of 458 Minnesota districts, in the 85th percentile with 4 stars. In 2025–2026, the school earned 4 stars, ranked 118 out of 869 Minnesota elementary schools, and placed in the 86th percentile—roughly the top 14% of ranked elementary schools. Its three-year trend is strongly upward: percentile rose from 34 in 2023–2024 to 58 in 2024–2025 to 86 in 2025–2026, and stars rose from 2 to 4 over that period.

In 2025–2026, all-grade proficiency was well above district and state averages. Math was 69.2% at the school, compared with 47.6% in the district and 44.9% in the state. Reading was 68.4% at the school, compared with 55.8% in the district and 48.6% in the state. Reading also improved sharply from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, from 47.06% to 68.4% (about +21.3 points), while math rose from 60.78% to 69.2% (about +8.4 points). One caution: the 2024–2025 reading exam is labeled MCA-III and 2025–2026 reading is labeled MCA-IV, so that reading comparison should be interpreted with some caution.

By grade in 2025–2026, 4th graders outperformed 3rd graders: math was 77.8% vs. 61.9%, and reading was 72.2% vs. 65%. Both 4th-grade results were above district and state, while 3rd-grade results were below the district but still above the state. Other data show 138 students, a student-teacher ratio of 11.1, and a free/reduced lunch rate of 39.86% in 2024–2025. With only one school in the ZIP code, families do not have a local comparison among elementary schools, but this school stands out for high 2025–2026 rankings, strong proficiency, and a consistent upward trend.

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)			Vaccination (2025-26)		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 All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
West Central Area South Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	31 N Central	Kensington	56343	Douglas County	West Central Area	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 965-7600	138	12	11.1	39.9%	123 (89.1%)	3 (2.2%)	7 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	83.1	118^th of 869 public elementary schools	86.4%		59.9	370^th of 872 public elementary schools	57.6%	252	65.0	72.2	68.4	61.9	77.8	69.2	81.8%	9.1%	$14,376

Cities Near Zip Code 56343

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Kensington	4.6 mi	1	32^nd
Brandon	9.43 mi	3	119^th
Barrett	10.67 mi	2	171^st
Evansville	10.98 mi	1	74^th
Garfield	11.82 mi	1	68^th

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.