C
Willow River Public School District
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 12 towns
Serves Windemere Township, Sturgeon Lake, Kettle River Township, Sturgeon Lake Township, Norman Township, Willow River, Bremen Township, Rutledge, Birch Creek Township, Bruno Township, Millward Township and Denham, and parts of Finlayson Township, Fleming Township and Park Township.
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 Sunrise Township.
PK–62 schoolsRush City Public School District
7–122 schoolsNorth Branch Public Schools
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 Township, Dell Grove Township
$14,614per student
Hinckley-Finlayson School DistrictDell Grove Township, Finlayson, Pine Lake Township
$16,168per student
Moose Lake Public School DistrictKerrick Township, Moose Lake Township, Silver Township
$13,620per student
McGregor Public School DistrictBeaver Township, Pliny Township, White Pine Township
$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.