Summary:
ZIP code 56713 contains a single elementary school: Stephen-Argyle Central Elementary, a PK–6 school with 158 students in Argyle, Minnesota, operating as part of Stephen-Argyle Central Schools. Because there is only one elementary school in this area, there are no side-by-side school comparisons to make; the most useful benchmarks are the school's results against its district and the state.
Math and science are the school's clearest strengths. In 2025–2026, all-grade math proficiency was 61.5% versus 44.9% statewide, and science was 45% versus 25.5% statewide. Math was above the state in every tested grade, and 5th grade stood out with 70% in math (state: 41.9%), 70% in reading (state: 54.5%), and 45% in science (state: 25.9%). Both subjects improved year over year — math from 59.55% to 61.5% and science from 36.36% to 45% — while state rates were flat to slightly down. The district ranks 128 of 458 (72nd percentile, 4 stars), and the school placed at the 68th percentile with 3 stars in 2025–2026, down from the 74th–75th percentile and 4 stars in the two prior years.
Reading is the main watch item. All-grade reading fell from 59.55% in 2024–2025 to 48.4% in 2025–2026, an 11.15-point drop while the state rate moved by only about a point, leaving the school essentially at the state average of 48.6% after being roughly 10 points above it. Grade-level reading is uneven: 5th grade is far above the state, but 3rd (42.9% vs 46.8%), 4th (40.7% vs 48.8%), and 6th (43.5% vs 53.4%) are below it. One data caveat: the file labels the reading exam MCA-III in 2024–2025 and MCA-IV in 2025–2026. With 158 students, a 13.8 student-teacher ratio, and 36.08% eligible for free/reduced lunch, year-to-year swings can hinge on a small number of students, so both the reading decline and the 5th-grade spike warrant cautious interpretation.
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