Summary:
ZIP code 56572 covers Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, and has two public schools serving a combined 842 students: Viking Elementary School for grades PK–6 (468 students) and Pelican Rapids Secondary for grades 7–12 (374 students). Both belong to Pelican Rapids Public Schools, which ranks 142 of 458 in Minnesota, at the 69th percentile with 3 stars—a district-level average that hides how differently the two schools are doing.
Pelican Rapids Secondary is the standout and is improving fast, moving from the 39th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 85th percentile in 2025–2026, now ranked 73 of 473 with 4 stars. Its all-grade math score of 48% is above the state's 44.9%, science is 29.8% versus 25.5%, and reading is 47% against a state figure of 48.6%. Its 11th grade math score of 52.5% far outpaces the state's 35.3%. The main concern is its dropout rate of 8.3%, roughly double the state's 4.2%, even though graduation at 84.7% is close to the state's 84.9%.
Viking Elementary School is heading the other way, slipping to 564 of 869, the 35th percentile, with 2 stars after reaching the 54th percentile the prior year. Math is near the state at 45%, but reading is 38.1% versus the state's 48.6% and science is 16.2% versus 25.5%. Bright spots include 4th grade math at 58% and 6th grade math at 51.9%, while 3rd grade reading (24.2% vs 46.8%), 5th grade math (26.5% vs 41.9%) and 5th grade science (16.2% vs 25.9%) are weak. Notably, both schools serve nearly identical free/reduced lunch populations—57.69% and 58.29%—making the gap between them especially striking.
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