Elementary Schools in McKenzie County 1

Summary:

The McKenzie County 1 school district in North Dakota is home to two elementary schools: Fox Hills Elementary School and Badlands Elementary School. Both schools serve students from kindergarten through 6th grade and are facing similar challenges in terms of academic performance and student engagement.

According to the data, neither Fox Hills Elementary nor Badlands Elementary stand out as top-performing schools in the state. Both schools have seen a decline in their statewide rankings over the past few years, with Fox Hills Elementary ranking 45th out of 53 North Dakota elementary schools and Badlands Elementary ranking 49th in the 2024-2025 school year. The schools' test scores in A-Plus/Math and A-Plus/Reading are also below the state average, with only around 30% of students proficient or better in these subjects.

Additionally, both schools face challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates of 20.0% and a significant percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. While the per-student spending at these schools is higher than the state average, this does not seem to be translating into better academic outcomes. The student-teacher ratios at both schools are within the typical range for elementary schools. Overall, the data suggests that the elementary schools in McKenzie County 1 are struggling to achieve strong academic performance and may benefit from further investigation and support to address the underlying factors contributing to these challenges.

District Detail

100 3rd St NE
Watford City, ND 58854

(701) 444-3626

SchoolDigger Rank:
118^th of 134 North Dakota districts

See the 2025 North Dakota District rankings!

Grades served: K-12
Students: 2,349

Primary Schools: 3
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 3
Alternative Schools: 0

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 All Grades	A-Plus Reading 3rd Grade	A-Plus Reading 4th Grade	A-Plus Reading 5th Grade	A-Plus Reading All Grades	A-Plus Science 4th 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
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
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

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.

Elementary Schools in McKenzie County 1

District Detail

Fox Hills Elementary School

Badlands Elementary School

Watford City Virtual Academy Elementary School

Districts nearby