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McKenzie County 1

At a glance

118^thof 134 North Dakota districts▼ 3

Better than 11% of North Dakota districts

Elementary 3 Middle 1 High 3Grades K-12

100 3rd St NE
Watford City, ND 58854·(701) 444-3626·All North Dakota district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2025

2025: better than 11.9% of districts

Schools

2,349

Students

Top rankedWatford City High School79^th of 125 North Dakota high schools

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Biggest riser

Fox Hills Elementary School up 28 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Badlands Elementary School 11.9 students per teacher

Compare North Dakota districts →See the top-ranked North Dakota schools →

Summary:

The McKenzie County 1 school district in North Dakota serves students from elementary through high school, with a total of 5 schools including 2 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools. The district appears to be facing significant challenges, with schools consistently underperforming compared to state averages in key metrics such as test scores, chronic absenteeism, and graduation rates.

Among the standout schools, Wolves Center Academy, a small high school with only 20 students, has a higher student-teacher ratio than the other high schools. Meanwhile, Badlands Elementary School has the highest percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients in the district, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students, and also the lowest test scores in both math and reading compared to the district and state averages.

The district's overall performance is concerning, with low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and a declining trend in school rankings over the past few years. The data suggests that the McKenzie County 1 school district may be facing significant socioeconomic challenges that are impacting student outcomes, and further analysis may be needed to identify the root causes and develop targeted interventions to improve the quality of education for all students in the district.

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				A-Plus Math (2025)								A-Plus Reading (2025)								A-Plus Science (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	A-Plus Math 3rd Grade	A-Plus Math 4th Grade	A-Plus Math 5th Grade	A-Plus Math 6th Grade	A-Plus Math 7th Grade	A-Plus Math 8th Grade	A-Plus Math 10th Grade	A-Plus Math All Grades	A-Plus Reading 3rd Grade	A-Plus Reading 4th Grade	A-Plus Reading 5th Grade	A-Plus Reading 6th Grade	A-Plus Reading 7th Grade	A-Plus Reading 8th Grade	A-Plus Reading 10th Grade	A-Plus Reading All Grades	A-Plus Science 4th Grade	A-Plus Science 8th Grade	A-Plus Science 10th Grade	A-Plus Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Badlands Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 3rd St SE	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 444-3626	538	45	11.9	39.2%	328 (61.0%)	9 (1.7%)	166 (30.9%)	3 (0.6%)	16 (3.0%)	3 (0.6%)	13 (2.4%)	24.6	180^th of 216 public elementary schools	16.7%		35.3	155^th of 217 public elementary schools	28.6%	25	34.0	39.0	14.0					31.0	29.0	34.0	24.0					27.0	39.0			39.0	$12,869	$2,537	$10,332
Watford City High School	Public	9-12	2313 Wolves Den Pkwy	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 444-3626	566	44	12.8	26.5%	356 (62.9%)	17 (3.0%)	136 (24.0%)	11 (1.9%)	28 (4.9%)	2 (0.4%)	16 (2.8%)	36.3	79^th of 125 public high schools	36.8%		19.8	102^nd of 122 public high schools	16.4%	23							20.5	20.5							45.5	45.5			24.0	24.0	$14,627	$2,287	$12,339
Watford City Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Third St NE	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 444-3626	509	36	14.1	37.7%	326 (64.0%)	8 (1.6%)	133 (26.1%)	7 (1.4%)	21 (4.1%)	6 (1.2%)	8 (1.6%)	14.6	53^rd of 59 public middle schools	10.2%		30.5	41^st of 57 public middle schools	28.1%	12				29.0	34.0	34.0		32.0				23.0	33.0	25.5		27.0		24.0		24.0	$13,730	$2,332	$11,397
Fox Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	2610 Wolves Den Parkway	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 444-3626	663	42	15.7	35.7%	396 (59.7%)	24 (3.6%)	186 (28.1%)	5 (0.8%)	33 (5.0%)	9 (1.4%)	10 (1.5%)	29.8	170^th of 216 public elementary schools	21.3%		21.9	198^th of 217 public elementary schools	8.8%	28	29.0	34.0	29.0					32.0	29.0	34.0	39.0					34.0	44.0			44.0	$9,250	$1,443	$7,807
Wolves Center Academy	Public	9-12	908 4th Avenue NE	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 444-3626	30	1	30.0		17 (56.7%)	1 (3.3%)	7 (23.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.7%)	1 (3.3%)	2 (6.7%)								(n/a)																					$6,675	$1,075	$5,600
Watford City Virtual Academy Elementary School	Public, Virtual	K-6	2112 Wolves Den Parkway	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(701) 444-3626	9	0	180.0		6 (66.7%)	1 (11.1%)	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$5,464	$1,075	$4,390
Watford City Virtual Academy High School	Public, Virtual	7-12	2112 Wolves Den Parkway	Watford City	58854	McKenzie County	McKenzie County 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(701) 444-3626	34	1	35.7		24 (70.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (26.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$5,464	$1,075	$4,390

IMPORTANT NOTE: North Dakota does not publish exact assessment percentages; instead, results are reported as ranges (e.g., 20-29%) to protect student privacy in smaller groups. The proficiency rates displayed on SchoolDigger are calculated using midpoint imputation—the center value of each reported range. Actual values may differ by up to 5 percentage points from the figures shown.

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Alexander 2	16.99 mi	2	81^st
Mandaree 36	28.2 mi	2	127^th
Mandaree Day School	28.44 mi	1
Williston Basin 7	28.8 mi	11	126^th
Horse Creek 32	30.1 mi	1

See the top ND North Dakota districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

About North Dakota Assessment Data: To protect student privacy, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction reports assessment results as percentage ranges rather than exact values. SchoolDigger calculates proficiency rates using midpoint imputation, which uses the center value of each reported range. For example, a reported range of 20-29% is represented as 24.5%. As a result, the proficiency rates shown may vary by approximately ±5 percentage points from actual values. This variance is most significant for individual grade/subject combinations and diminishes when data is aggregated across multiple grades or subjects.

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.