B
Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School District 72
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 13 towns
Serves Turtle Lake, Wise, Lake Williams, Mercer, Byersville, Malcolm, Medicine Hill, Prophets, Turtle Lake, Mercer, Greatstone, Horseshoe Valley and Aurena, and parts of Otis.
Students
182
Schools
2
Spent per student
$17,125
ND $16,642
Students per teacher
8:1
Free or reduced lunch
19%
Debt
$0.5M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School District 72
- School Grade B: better than 55% of North Dakota districts
- Graduation rate (4-year) 12 pts below the state
- 8 students per teacher
- Debt of $0.5M, about $2,637 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Newman.
PK–8Sawyer Elementary SchoolSawyer Public School District 16
9–12Sawyer High SchoolSawyer Public School District 16
Test scores vs. ND
2020–21Math proficiency42%
State average 38.2%
Reading / language arts47%
State average 42.3%
Graduation rate (4-year)75%
State average 86.6% · small group: the state reports 50–100%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$17,125 per student · 3% above ND
Spending
Classroom instruction 52%Support & administration 38%Other 10%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 44%State 52%Federal 4%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
181’20
177’21
175’22
190’23
182’24
About steady.
Students
White 95%Two or more races 3%American Indian/Alaska Native 2%Black <1%
Schools in the district
2 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
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.