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Badlands Elementary School

Q: Is Badlands Elementary School a good school?

Badlands Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.7% of North Dakota elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Badlands Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 538 students attended Badlands Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Badlands Elementary School?

Students at Badlands Elementary School are 61% White, 31% Hispanic, 3% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Q: What schools do graduates of Badlands Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Badlands Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Watford City High School

Public Grades K-5

180^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 216 North Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of North Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Badlands Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Watford City, North Dakota, serving 500 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the McKenzie County 1 school district, which is ranked 22 out of 23 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Badlands Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of North Dakota elementary schools, ranging from 32nd to 49th out of 48-53 schools in recent years, and has maintained a 1-2 star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance compared to other schools in the state. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 31% of students proficient or better in Math and 29% proficient or better in Reading, both below the state averages of 41% and 40%, respectively. The school has also experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 20% to 33% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

While Badlands Elementary School and the nearby Fox Hills Elementary School are both part of the same school district and serve similar populations, Fox Hills Elementary School has generally outperformed Badlands Elementary School in academic proficiency and other key metrics. Additionally, the school's relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 27.08% to 42.4% in recent years, suggests that it may be serving a population with greater socioeconomic challenges, which could impact student learning and achievement.

538

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,869

Per pupil spending ?

39.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 3rd St SE
Watford City, ND 58854

(701) 444-3626

District: McKenzie County 1

Students who attend Badlands Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Watford City High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.0%

Hispanic:

30.9%

American Indian:

3.0%

See top rated North Dakota elementary schools

Compare Badlands Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 15th percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Dakota average (32% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 20% North Dakota)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg31%

North Dakota avg40%

180^th of 216

North Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the McKenzie County 1

118^th of 134McKenzie County 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	24.6	180 of 216	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.3	155 of 217	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.7	126 of 215	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.8	123 of 217	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.5	125 of 207	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2020	23.6	180 of 203	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	180 of 203	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	181 of 202	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.2	164 of 199	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	28.5	165 of 194	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.1	150 of 181	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	32.4	177 of 217	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	48.0	142 of 217	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	67.8	47 of 195	75.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	42.8	8 of 17	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.8	1 of 11	90.9%	★★★★★
2023	31.8	6 of 9	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	68.7	1 of 9	88.9%	★★★★★
2021	54.7	2 of 8	75.0%	★★★★☆
2020	26.9	9 of 9	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	9 of 9	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.6	6 of 8	25.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	132 of 143	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	43.2	85 of 138	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	74 of 137	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.6	59 of 141	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.9	49 of 132	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2020	24.6	112 of 132	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	112 of 132	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.3	107 of 130	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.3	100 of 128	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	32.6	101 of 123	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	41.1	73 of 109	33.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2020	17.1	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2019	17.1	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2018	29.5	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2017	67.1	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	29.8	2 of 2	0.0%	★★★★☆
2024	48.2	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2023	43.4	2 of 2	0.0%	★★★★☆
2022	21.6	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★
2021	32.8	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2020	24.2	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2019	24.2	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★
2018	31.4	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	38 of 101	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.0	19 of 93	79.6%	★★★★☆
2023	56.1	28 of 88	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	10 of 64	84.4%	★★★★☆
2021	57.1	20 of 64	68.8%	★★★★☆
2020	26.9	77 of 88	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.0	77 of 88	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.7	78 of 87	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.4	63 of 81	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.1	59 of 74	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.8	48 of 65	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	105 of 143	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	114 of 138	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	101 of 137	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.8	85 of 141	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.6	92 of 132	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2020	20.5	123 of 132	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.6	123 of 132	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.7	123 of 130	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	29.8	112 of 128	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.2	110 of 123	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.8	100 of 109	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	64 of 83	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.7	54 of 79	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.5	36 of 71	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.0	37 of 75	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	24 of 62	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2020	27.6	56 of 66	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	56 of 66	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	51 of 54	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	24.5	47 of 53	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.7	47 of 51	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	29.9	32 of 40	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile+46 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)53rd percentile+36 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)23rd percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)8th percentile-9 vs school

Homeless (2025)<1st percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2020)<1st percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science39%~ state avg

Math31%-10 vs state

Reading27%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Badlands 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
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 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
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
Alexander Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	601 Delaney St	Alexander	58831	McKenzie County	Alexander 2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 828-3334	195	19	10.2	32.3%	170 (87.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	50.4	106^th of 216 public elementary schools	50.9%		25.9	187^th of 217 public elementary schools	13.8%	81	59.0	49.0	34.5	29.5	20.0	34.5	39.0	39.5	49.5	44.5	29.5	20.0	20.0	33.0	59.0	34.5	54.0	$16,320	$538	$15,782

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 Badlands Elementary School

What district is Badlands Elementary School in?

McKenzie County 1

What is the racial makeup of Badlands Elementary School?

Students at Badlands Elementary School are 61% White, 31% Hispanic, 3% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Badlands Elementary School attend?

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

High : Watford City High School

How many students attend Badlands Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 538 students attended Badlands Elementary School.

Is Badlands Elementary School a good school?

Badlands Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.7% of North Dakota elementary schools.

Rate Badlands Elementary School!

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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.