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McKinley Elementary School

Q: Is McKinley Elementary School a good school?

McKinley Elementary School ranks 157 th of 216 North Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

157^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 216 North Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of North Dakota elementary schools

Summary

McKinley Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fargo, North Dakota, serving 157 students from kindergarten to 5th grade and is part of the Fargo 1 School District.

McKinley Elementary School faces several significant challenges. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20% to 27%, which is much higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school's test scores are generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Math, Reading, and Science were 39%, 34%, and 19.5%, respectively, compared to the district averages of 41%, 38%, and 35%. The school's performance also varies significantly among different student groups, with female students performing relatively well, but male students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds performing much worse.

Despite the school's relatively high spending per student, ranging from $17,033 to $21,528 over the past few years, its academic performance does not seem to reflect this higher level of spending. When compared to other elementary schools in the Fargo 1 School District, such as Clara Barton Hawthorne Elementary School, Lewis And Clark Elementary School, and Jefferson Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School generally performs worse across a range of metrics, including test scores, chronic absenteeism, and student group performance.

169

Students ?

7.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,494

Per pupil spending ?

53.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2930 8th St N
Fargo, ND 58102

(701) 446-5200

District: Fargo 1

Students who attend McKinley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ben Franklin Middle School
High:	North High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.5%

Hispanic:

9.5%

African American:

8.9%

See top rated North Dakota elementary schools

Compare McKinley Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 36th percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Dakota average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg38%

North Dakota avg40%

157^th of 216

North Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 40 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Fargo 1

104^th of 134Fargo 1 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.6	157 of 216	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.2	174 of 217	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.2	171 of 215	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.0	128 of 217	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.8	149 of 207	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2020	25.7	177 of 203	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.8	177 of 203	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.2	177 of 202	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.9	163 of 199	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	43.0	125 of 194	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	63.1	60 of 181	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	73.3	36 of 217	83.4%	★★★★☆
2013	67.8	61 of 217	71.9%	★★★★☆
2012	58.4	95 of 195	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	48 of 143	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	63 of 138	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.7	79 of 137	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.9	74 of 141	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2020	21.0	118 of 132	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	118 of 132	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	114 of 130	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.7	110 of 128	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.6	92 of 123	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	56.9	47 of 109	56.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	75 of 101	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	74 of 93	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	56.4	27 of 88	69.3%	★★★★☆
2020	64.5	16 of 88	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	16 of 88	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	46.7	51 of 87	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.3	51 of 81	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.8	63 of 74	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	130 of 143	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	131 of 138	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	27.7	112 of 137	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	56.0	55 of 141	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2020	41.1	82 of 132	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	82 of 132	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.5	107 of 130	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	45.4	87 of 128	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	63.5	37 of 123	69.9%	★★★★☆
2015	77.0	12 of 109	89.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2024	46.8	45 of 79	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2020	34.6	48 of 66	27.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.6	48 of 66	27.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.9	46 of 54	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2025)66th percentile+39 vs school

White (2024)43rd percentile+23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)26th percentile~ school

Male (2025)9th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Math39%~ state avg

Reading34%-6 vs state

Science20%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near McKinley 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 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 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
McKinley Elementary School	Public	K-5	2930 8th St N	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 446-5200	169	21	7.9	53.8%	109 (64.5%)	15 (8.9%)	16 (9.5%)	10 (5.9%)	8 (4.7%)	2 (1.2%)	9 (5.3%)	34.6	157^th of 216 public elementary schools	27.3%		30.2	174^th of 217 public elementary schools	19.8%	17	19.5	29.0	59.0		39.0	39.5	29.5	49.0		34.0	19.5		19.5	$23,494	$2,722	$20,772
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	K-5	20 29th Ave NE	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-5000	386	26	15.1	15.5%	338 (87.6%)	5 (1.3%)	13 (3.4%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	86.8	8^th of 216 public elementary schools	96.3%		92.5	4^th of 217 public elementary schools	98.2%	4	79.0	59.0	69.0		67.0	59.0	54.0	59.0		57.0	59.0		59.0	$16,175	$656	$15,519
Washington Elementary School	Public	K-5	1725 N Broadway	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-5400	292	29	10.2	29.5%	234 (80.1%)	11 (3.8%)	12 (4.1%)	15 (5.1%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.8%)	40.9	134^th of 216 public elementary schools	38.0%		41.4	139^th of 217 public elementary schools	35.9%	5	54.0	44.0	49.0		49.0	29.0	29.0	34.0		30.5	39.0		39.0	$17,256	$861	$16,395
Horace Mann Roosevelt Elementary School	Public	K-5	1025 3rd St N	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 446-4600	344	34	10.2	48.5%	190 (55.2%)	41 (11.9%)	43 (12.5%)	14 (4.1%)	32 (9.3%)	4 (1.2%)	20 (5.8%)	39.4	142^nd of 216 public elementary schools	34.3%		22.2	195^th of 217 public elementary schools	10.1%	53	29.0	39.0	54.0		44.0	39.0	24.0	54.0		40.5	29.0		29.0	$17,733	$2,323	$15,410
Madison Elementary School	Public	K-5	1040 N 29th St	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 446-5100	134	17	7.7	79.1%	55 (41.0%)	22 (16.4%)	30 (22.4%)	5 (3.7%)	10 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (9.0%)	18.9	198^th of 216 public elementary schools	8.3%		12.8	207^th of 217 public elementary schools	4.6%	9	19.5	20.0	39.0		24.0	10.0	20.0	49.5		24.0	20.0		20.0	$26,137	$3,136	$23,001
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1701 4th Ave S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 446-4700	270	33	8.1	81.5%	96 (35.6%)	60 (22.2%)	53 (19.6%)	26 (9.6%)	19 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)	16.8	202^nd of 216 public elementary schools	6.5%		4.2	217^th of 217 public elementary schools	0.0%	15	29.0	14.0	24.0		19.0	39.5	29.5	19.0		25.5	24.0		24.0	$23,648	$3,295	$20,353
Fargo K-8 Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	K-8	700 7th Street South	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 446-1000	22	1	15.7		13 (59.1%)	1 (4.5%)	6 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				20.0	20.0				34.5	44.5		20.0	20.0	$10,985	$485	$10,500
Clara Barton Hawthorne Elementary School	Public	K-5	1417 6th St S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-4400	312	25	12.4	22.4%	261 (83.7%)	5 (1.6%)	18 (5.8%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.4%)	60.9	69^th of 216 public elementary schools	68.1%		74.6	33^rd of 217 public elementary schools	84.8%	36	49.0	44.0	54.0		49.0	54.0	39.0	59.0		54.0	39.0		39.0	$18,035	$453	$17,582
Lewis And Clark Elementary School	Public	K-5	1729 16th St S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 446-4800	439	42	10.4	50.6%	243 (55.4%)	87 (19.8%)	45 (10.3%)	4 (0.9%)	21 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.7%)	33.9	159^th of 216 public elementary schools	26.4%		39.5	142^nd of 217 public elementary schools	34.6%	17	14.0	34.0	54.0		32.0	24.0	29.0	54.0		34.0	34.0		34.0	$18,489	$2,423	$16,066
Explorer Academy	Public	K-8	1780 17th St S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-4100	34	24	1.4	100.0%	14 (41.2%)	7 (20.6%)	3 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (20.6%)								(n/a)					20.0					20.0				$116,588	$6,929	$109,659

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 McKinley Elementary School

Is McKinley Elementary School a good school?

McKinley Elementary School ranks 157^th of 216 North Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of McKinley Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McKinley Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ben Franklin Middle School
High : North High School

How many students attend McKinley Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 169 students attended McKinley Elementary School.

What district is McKinley Elementary School in?

Fargo 1

What is the racial makeup of McKinley Elementary School?

Students at McKinley Elementary School are 64% White, 9% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 5% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.

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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.