C
Willow River Public School District
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 12 towns
Serves Windemere, Sturgeon Lake, Kettle River, Sturgeon Lake, Norman, Willow River, Bremen, Rutledge, Birch Creek, Bruno, Millward and Denham, and parts of Finlayson, Fleming and Park.
Students
436
Schools
2
Spent per student
$15,595
MN $17,091
Students per teacher
12:1
Free or reduced lunch
42%
Debt
$4.8M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Willow River Public School District
- School Grade C: better than 29% of Minnesota districts
- Math proficiency 20 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 8 pts below the state
- Graduation rate (4-year) 6 pts above the state
- Spends 9% less per student than the MN average
- 12 students per teacher
- Debt of $4.8M, about $11,078 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Sandstone.
PK–62 schoolsEast Central School District
6East Central ElementaryEast Central School District
7–12East Central Senior SecondaryEast Central School District
Test scores vs. MN
2020–21Math proficiency24%
State average 44.2%
Reading / language arts45%
State average 52.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)90%
State average 84.4% · small group: the state reports 80–100%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$15,595 per student · 9% below MN
Spending
Classroom instruction 62%Support & administration 33%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 22%State 69%Federal 9%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
422’20
423’21
413’22
415’23
436’24
Up 3.3% since 2020.
Students
White 92%American Indian/Alaska Native 4%Two or more races 3%Hispanic 2%
Schools in the district
2 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
East Central School DistrictBruno, Danforth, Dell Grove
$14,614per student
Hinckley-Finlayson School DistrictDell Grove, Finlayson, Pine Lake
$16,168per student
Moose Lake Public School DistrictKerrick, Moose Lake, Silver
$13,620per student
McGregor Public School DistrictBeaver, Pliny, White Pine
$18,762per 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.