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Independence Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

178^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 216 North Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of North Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Independence Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Fargo, North Dakota, serving 588 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the West Fargo 6 school district, which is ranked 16 out of 23 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past few years, Independence Elementary School has shown fluctuating academic performance, with its statewide ranking ranging from 6th to 50th out of North Dakota elementary schools. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school outperformed the district and state averages in both mathematics and reading proficiency, but then saw a decline in the 2024-2025 school year. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 7% in 2021-2022 to 20% in 2024-2025, which is on par with nearby schools. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 9.25% to 23.98% over the past few years.

Compared to nearby schools, Independence Elementary generally performs better than Willow Park Elementary but lower than higher-performing schools like Deer Creek Elementary and Legacy Elementary. The school's spending per student has increased over time but remains lower than some of the higher-performing nearby schools, which may indicate a need for additional resources to support student learning and achievement.

553

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,657

Per pupil spending ?

30.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3700 54th St S
Fargo, ND 58104

(701) 356-5890

District: West Fargo 6

Students who attend Independence Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Liberty Middle School
High:	West Fargo Sheyenne High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.0%

African American:

22.2%

Asian:

9.9%

See top rated North Dakota elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2016 → 18th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Dakota average (34% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 50 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg40%

North Dakota avg40%

178^th of 216

North Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 45 pts since 2015

From top 38% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 14Elementary Schools in the West Fargo 6

89^th of 134West Fargo 6 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	26.5	178 of 216	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.8	93 of 217	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.1	80 of 215	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.9	33 of 217	84.8%	★★★★☆
2021	64.0	62 of 207	70.0%	★★★★☆
2020	64.9	58 of 203	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	58 of 203	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	42.1	142 of 202	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.7	125 of 199	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	61.9	63 of 194	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.4	68 of 181	62.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	26.3	15 of 18	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.2	10 of 13	23.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.8	6 of 10	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.2	5 of 8	37.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	72.0	2 of 6	66.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	38.2	97 of 143	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.3	30 of 138	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	58.9	44 of 137	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.3	20 of 141	85.8%	★★★★☆
2021	65.0	37 of 132	72.0%	★★★★☆
2020	65.1	41 of 132	68.9%	★★★★☆
2019	65.3	41 of 132	68.9%	★★★★☆
2018	50.2	72 of 130	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.6	77 of 128	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	59.9	43 of 123	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.2	50 of 109	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	26.3	87 of 101	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.8	67 of 93	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.2	82 of 88	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	44.9	34 of 64	46.9%	★★★☆☆
2020	62.9	17 of 88	80.7%	★★★★☆
2019	62.9	17 of 88	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	45.6	53 of 87	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	32.3	67 of 81	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	44.8	48 of 74	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.2	27 of 65	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	21.0	128 of 143	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.7	78 of 138	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.2	60 of 137	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.6	18 of 141	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.7	45 of 132	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2020	65.4	38 of 132	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	65.4	38 of 132	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	36.5	102 of 130	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	44.3	88 of 128	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	59.1	50 of 123	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.5	49 of 109	55.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	42.9	53 of 83	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.2	22 of 79	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.8	14 of 71	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.0	6 of 75	92.0%	★★★★★
2021	70.5	13 of 62	79.0%	★★★★☆
2020	60.6	26 of 66	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.8	26 of 66	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.9	34 of 54	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.7	35 of 53	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	63.0	21 of 51	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.4	20 of 40	50.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2025)36th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)32nd percentile+15 vs school

African American (2025)17th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)10th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science44%+6 vs state

Math33%-8 vs state

Reading25%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Independence 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 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
Independence Elementary School	Public	K-5	3700 54th St S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-5890	553	42	13.1	30.4%	293 (53.0%)	123 (22.2%)	41 (7.4%)	55 (9.9%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.0%)	26.5	178^th of 216 public elementary schools	17.6%		52.8	93^rd of 217 public elementary schools	57.1%	85	29.0	44.0	24.0	33.0	15.5	34.0	29.0	25.0	44.0	44.0	$11,657	$844	$10,813
Osgood Elementary School	Public	K-5	5550 44th Ave S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 356-2190	554	44	12.5	41.2%	301 (54.3%)	155 (28.0%)	37 (6.7%)	9 (1.6%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.1%)	19.3	197^th of 216 public elementary schools	8.8%		21.7	199^th of 217 public elementary schools	8.3%	2	19.0	29.0	34.0	28.0	19.0	34.0	29.0	26.0	34.0	34.0	$13,698	$2,026	$11,672
Kennedy Elementary School	Public	K-5	4401 42nd St S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-4200	469	40	11.7	41.6%	249 (53.1%)	138 (29.4%)	37 (7.9%)	22 (4.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	39.6	140^th of 216 public elementary schools	35.2%		31	168^th of 217 public elementary schools	22.6%	28	44.0	44.0	49.0	45.0	39.0	34.0	34.0	34.0	29.0	29.0	$14,952	$661	$14,291
Meadowlark Elementary School	Public	K-5	5801 51st Ave S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(701) 356-6830	379	31	12.2	10.0%	322 (85.0%)	21 (5.5%)	11 (2.9%)	11 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.7%)								(n/a)	69.0	49.0	79.0	65.0	59.0	39.0	59.0	53.0	49.0	49.0	$12,240	$844	$11,396
Freedom Elementary School	Public	K-5	401 26th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 356-5221	473	37	12.7	28.5%	274 (57.9%)	112 (23.7%)	23 (4.9%)	38 (8.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.9%)	40.7	136^th of 216 public elementary schools	37.0%		49.3	106^th of 217 public elementary schools	51.2%	30	39.0	44.0	34.0	40.0	39.0	39.0	29.0	35.0	49.0	49.0	$14,279	$2,087	$12,192
Deer Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	6400 54th Ave S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-8390	384	37	10.3	12.0%	301 (78.4%)	37 (9.6%)	9 (2.3%)	12 (3.1%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (3.9%)	82.7	17^th of 216 public elementary schools	92.1%		72.8	40^th of 217 public elementary schools	81.6%	23	64.0	64.0	59.0	64.0	49.0	69.0	49.0	54.0	69.0	69.0	$14,459	$844	$13,615
Aurora Elementary School	Public	K-5	3420 9th St W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2130	377	32	11.7	25.2%	271 (71.9%)	66 (17.5%)	15 (4.0%)	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	43.8	126^th of 216 public elementary schools	41.7%		52.2	97^th of 217 public elementary schools	55.3%	29	29.0	54.0	39.0	44.0	39.0	34.0	39.0	39.0	49.0	49.0	$14,784	$844	$13,940
Legacy Elementary School	Public	K-5	5150 9th St W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-3740	456	35	13.2	11.4%	374 (82.0%)	32 (7.0%)	14 (3.1%)	9 (2.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.8%)	54.9	84^th of 216 public elementary schools	61.1%		63.9	60^th of 217 public elementary schools	72.4%	24	34.0	49.0	64.0	48.0	29.0	44.0	44.0	40.0	54.0	54.0	$12,102	$844	$11,257
Educational Clapp Elementary School	Public	K-5	3131 S 28th St	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 446-2900	444	48	9.2	57.7%	188 (42.3%)	158 (35.6%)	34 (7.7%)	22 (5.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.3%)	37.6	146^th of 216 public elementary schools	32.4%		26.1	186^th of 217 public elementary schools	14.3%	40	44.0	49.0	39.0	44.0	34.0	34.0	34.0	35.5	34.0	34.0	$18,726	$2,500	$16,226
Brooks Harbor Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 22nd Ave W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-8310	537	37	14.7	20.7%	377 (70.2%)	76 (14.2%)	33 (6.1%)	15 (2.8%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.3%)	66.3	52^nd of 216 public elementary schools	75.9%		51.2	98^th of 217 public elementary schools	54.8%	46	59.0	49.0	54.0	54.0	49.0	39.0	49.0	43.0	54.0	54.0	$12,769	$844	$11,925

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 Independence Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary School?

Students at Independence Elementary School are 53% White, 22% African American, 10% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What district is Independence Elementary School in?

West Fargo 6

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Liberty Middle School
High : West Fargo Sheyenne High School

How many students attend Independence Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 553 students attended Independence Elementary School.

Is Independence Elementary School a good school?

Independence Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.6% of North Dakota elementary schools.

Rate Independence 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.