C+

Wadena-Deer Creek School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 11 towns

Serves Wadena, Wadena, Compton, Leaf River, Bluffton, Deer Creek, Wing River, Deer Creek, Inman, Oak Valley and Bluffton, and parts of Stowe Prairie and Blowers.

Students

1,079

Schools

Spent per student

$15,152

MN $17,091

Students per teacher

15:1

Free or reduced lunch

45%

Debt

$11.7M

fiscal 2024

The gist

What stands out about Wadena-Deer Creek School District

School Grade C+: better than 42% of Minnesota districts
Math proficiency 11 pts below the state
Reading / language arts 8 pts below the state
Spends 11% less per student than the MN average
15 students per teacher
Debt of $11.7M, about $10,831 per student

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Brandon.

PK–1Brandon ElementaryBrandon-Evansville Public Schools

2–5Evansville ElementaryBrandon-Evansville Public Schools

6–8Brandon-Evansville Middle SchoolBrandon-Evansville Public Schools

9–12Brandon-Evansville High SchoolBrandon-Evansville Public Schools

Test scores vs. MN

2020–21

Math proficiency33%

State average 44.2%

Reading / language arts45%

State average 52.5%

Graduation rate (4-year)87%

State average 84.4%

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024

$15,152 per student · 11% below MN

Spending

Classroom instruction 62%Support & administration 31%Other 7%

Paid for by

Local (mostly property tax) 17%State 73%Federal 10%

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time

1,033’20

1,060’21

1,088’22

1,112’23

1,079’24

Up 4.5% since 2020.

Students

White 86%Two or more races 6%Hispanic 5%American Indian/Alaska Native 2%Black 1%Asian <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

3 public schools.

Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Wadena

450 students11:1

Wadena-Deer Creek 5Th and 6Th Grade

Middle · Grades 5–6 · Wadena

C+

159 students21:1

Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

High · Grades 7–12 · Wadena

C+

470 students20:1

Towns served

Wadena 4,419Wadena 1,023Compton 804Leaf River 804Bluffton 677Deer Creek 487Wing River 419Deer Creek 330Inman 327Oak Valley 323Bluffton 263

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

New York Mills Public School DistrictHomestead, Leaf Lake, Newton

$13,493per student

Sebeka Public School DistrictNorth Germany, Paddock, Rockwood

$15,593per student

Henning Public School DistrictElmo, Henning, Leaf Lake

$14,397per student

Verndale Public School DistrictAldrich, Bartlett

$14,670per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.