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North Star Elementary School

Q: Is North Star Elementary School a good school?

North Star Elementary School ranks 127 th of 216 North Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

127^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 216 North Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of North Dakota elementary schools

Summary

North Star Elementary School is a public elementary school in Cando, North Dakota, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 210 students. The school is part of the North Star 10 school district, which is ranked 93 out of 134 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Star Elementary School has shown inconsistent academic performance over the years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 44 to 142 out of 199-217 elementary schools in North Dakota. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Math (59%) and Reading (38%) for all grades were higher than the state averages (41% and 40%, respectively), but lower than the district-wide averages (49% and 40.5%). Compared to the nearby Leeds Elementary School, which is ranked 1st in the state, North Star Elementary School's proficiency rates are significantly lower, especially in Math (69% vs. 59%) and Reading (64% vs. 38%). The school's performance on the NDSA (North Dakota State Assessment) tests has also been mixed, with some grade levels performing above the state average, while others are below.

North Star Elementary School has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14% to 20% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the desired target of less than 10%. The school's per-student spending has increased from $10,220 in 2018-2019 to $12,637 in 2021-2022, which is higher than the state average, and the student-teacher ratio has decreased from 13.3 in 2021-2022 to 12.3 in 2023-2024, indicating a relatively small class size. However, despite these resources, the academic performance has not been consistently strong, suggesting the need to evaluate how resources are being utilized and explore ways to optimize their impact on student learning.

208

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,624

Per pupil spending ?

26%

Free/discounted lunch ?

418 2nd Ave
Cando, ND 58324

(701) 968-4416

District: North Star 10

Students who attend North Star Elementary School usually attend:

High:

North Star High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.4%

American Indian:

3.8%

Two or more races:

2.9%

See top rated North Dakota elementary schools

Compare North Star Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2016 → 41st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Dakota average (49% vs 40% meeting standards)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 30 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg43%

North Dakota avg40%

Elementary school

127^th of 216

North Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

14^th of 59

North Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From top 37% (2015) to top 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

93^rd of 134North Star 10 among North Dakota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	43.3	127 of 216	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.9	58 of 217	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	60.1	65 of 215	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	43.7	132 of 217	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.2	142 of 207	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2020	45.9	128 of 203	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	128 of 203	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.6	85 of 202	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.1	44 of 199	77.9%	★★★★☆
2016	64.9	56 of 194	71.1%	★★★★☆
2015	53.5	86 of 181	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.1	64 of 217	70.5%	★★★★☆
2013	77.6	21 of 217	90.3%	★★★★★
2012	64.7	61 of 195	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	69.0	25 of 143	82.5%	★★★★☆
2020	43.0	87 of 132	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.3	88 of 132	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	80.1	12 of 130	90.8%	★★★★★
2017	72.7	24 of 128	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	69.3	29 of 123	76.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.6	41 of 101	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.5	45 of 87	48.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	43.1	56 of 81	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.8	74 of 143	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2020	23.4	117 of 132	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	117 of 132	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.9	80 of 130	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.2	84 of 128	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	67.1	31 of 123	74.8%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	62.3	14 of 59	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	46.3	28 of 57	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.0	51 of 61	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	63.5	14 of 61	77.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.3	17 of 60	71.7%	★★★★☆
2020	55.5	19 of 55	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.3	19 of 55	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.5	12 of 55	78.2%	★★★★☆
2017	34.8	40 of 52	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	53.3	26 of 53	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.1	19 of 52	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	80.2	12 of 136	91.2%	★★★★★
2013	67.5	30 of 135	77.8%	★★★★☆
2012	69.8	24 of 124	80.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2022	79.4	2 of 37	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	67.4	9 of 37	75.7%	★★★★☆
2017	35.4	24 of 34	29.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2018	52.8	7 of 25	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	35.8	17 of 25	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2022	68.3	7 of 37	81.1%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	10 of 37	73.0%	★★★★☆
2017	29.5	27 of 34	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Female (2025)83rd percentile+41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)59th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2025)48th percentile+7 vs school

Middle school

Female (2022)95th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2022)81st percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)72nd percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Math59%+18 vs state

Science49%+11 vs state

Reading38%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near North Star Elementary School

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 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 All Grades	A-Plus Science 4th Grade	A-Plus Science 8th Grade	A-Plus Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Star Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	418 2nd Ave	Cando	58324	Towner County	North Star 10	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 968-4416	208	17	12.2	26.0%	186 (89.4%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.4%)	2 (1.0%)	8 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	43.3	127^th of 216 public elementary schools	41.2%		64.9	58^th of 217 public elementary schools	73.3%	69	34.5	69.0	49.0	29.5	69.0	54.5	59.0	20.0	29.5	39.5	49.5	69.5	44.5	38.0	49.0	44.5	49.0	$13,624	$826	$12,798
Starkweather Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	505 E Main Street	Starkweather	58377	Ramsey County	Starkweather 44	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 292-4381	29	4	7.2	27.6%	23 (79.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (13.8%)								(n/a)							10.0							19.5				$21,211	$24	$21,187
Leeds Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	530 1st St SE	Leeds	58346	Benson County	Leeds 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 466-2461	96	13	7.2	29.2%	86 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	96.3	1^st of 216 public elementary schools	99.5%		73.1	39^th of 217 public elementary schools	82.0%	38	79.0		69.0				69.0	74.5		74.5				64.0			44.5	$18,241	$1,115	$17,127

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.

Frequently Asked Questions about North Star Elementary School

Is North Star Elementary School a good school?

North Star Elementary School ranks 127^th of 216 North Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of North Star Elementary School attend?

Students who attend North Star Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : North Star High School

What district is North Star Elementary School in?

North Star 10

What is the racial makeup of North Star Elementary School?

Students at North Star Elementary School are 89% White, 4% American Indian, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend North Star Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 208 students attended North Star Elementary School.

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NDNorth Dakota Elementary School Rankings

NDNorth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Cando, ND

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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.