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Schools in Zion · Paynesville Public School District

Zion’s public schools beat 55% of Minnesota districts

The public schools Zion’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 55% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

39%beats similar-income towns
Reading proficiency
42%
▼ 11 pts vs MN 53%
2020–21
Math proficiency
36%
▼ 8 pts vs MN 44%
2020–21
Graduate on time
97%
▲ 13 pts vs MN 84%
class of 2020
Spent per student
$13.5K
▼ 21% vs MN $17.1K
FY2024
Schools
0
The School Grade

How Zion compares

C+ Test scoresA Graduation
Minnesota school districts we grade (491)Better than 55%
Lower resultsHigher results
Minnesota towns with similar household incomes (1,559)Better than 39%
Towns in Stearns County (34)Better than 24%
Good confidence. Built on 356 tested students and a graduating class of 78; ordinary year-to-year swings are unlikely to change it.
How the School Grade works
  • Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on Minnesota’s state tests against the state average, plus the four-year graduation rate. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
  • The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested. Tests count 60%, graduation 40%.
  • Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of Minnesota only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
  • What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Zion.

The path, start to finish
PK–5Paynesville Area Elementaryin Paynesville
6–12Paynesville Area Secondary Schoolin Paynesville

The district

Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.

Test scores · 2020–21

Well below the state in reading

Reading42%
State average 52.5%
Math36%
State average 44.2%

Zion vs. its neighbors

Zion’s schools rank 4th of 7 among the towns that share its borders. School Grade, by percentile among Minnesota districts.

Every school in Zion

0 schools. Grades are ours, from state tests and graduation. Stars are from neighbors.

Also serving Zion · in other towns

Parents talk

What Zion families are saying about school.

Town Square →
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Within reach

Colleges near Zion

There’s no college in Zion, but 6 are within 30 miles. The closest is Saint Johns University in Collegeville, 17 miles away.

Colleges →

Straight-line distance from the center of Zion. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS.

School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within Minnesota. Stars are from neighbors.

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