Summary:
ZIP code 56431 covers Aitkin, Minnesota, and contains 2 schools serving a combined 985 students: Aitkin Secondary School (grades 7–12, enrollment 509) and Rippleside Elementary (grades PK–6, enrollment 476). Both belong to the Aitkin Public School District, which is ranked 25th of 458 Minnesota districts at the 95th percentile with a 5-star rating. Although no separate middle school is listed, Aitkin Secondary covers grades 7–8, so middle-grade students are served there.
Aitkin Secondary School is the standout, ranking 30th of 473 Minnesota high schools in 2025–2026 at the 94th percentile with 5 stars — a sharp climb from 176th (2023–2024) and 79th (2024–2025). Its all-grade proficiency is 63.0% in math (state 44.9%), 55.1% in reading (state 48.6%), and 42.2% in science (state 25.5%). Its graduation rate of 89.8% is above the district's 84.2% and the state's 84.9%, but its dropout rate of 8.9% is more than double the state's 4.2%, a notable caution flag.
Rippleside Elementary is a 4-star school, ranked 247th of 869 elementary schools at the 72nd percentile. Its math (61.7%) and reading (58.9%) are above state averages, but science is the clear weak point at 20.0%, below both the district's 35.3% and the state's 25.5% — a 22.2-point gap versus Aitkin Secondary and the most striking contrast in the data. Fifth-grade reading (49.3%) is the one elementary reading grade below state (54.5%). Rippleside has a higher free/reduced lunch rate (47.27% vs. 41.26%) yet student–teacher ratios are nearly identical (13.4 vs. 13.5).
Thank you for your feedback!