Summary:
The city of Mountain Iron, Minnesota, is home to 3 schools, including 1 elementary school and 2 high schools (1 public and 1 public charter). The data reveals that Merritt Elementary stands out as the highest-performing school in the area, consistently outpacing the state and Mountain Iron-Buhl School District averages on standardized tests. In contrast, the public charter high school, East Range Academy of Technical-Science, struggles with low proficiency rates, high dropout rates, and low graduation rates, raising concerns about the quality of education and support provided to students.
Merritt Elementary's success is attributed to its consistently high performance on MCA-III tests, with proficiency rates above the state and district averages in math, reading, and science. The school is ranked in the top 30% of Minnesota elementary schools and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.5. Meanwhile, Mountain Iron-Buhl Secondary has a solid graduation rate of 88.8% and low dropout rate of 2.7%, and it outperforms the state and district averages in reading proficiency, placing it in the top 25% of Minnesota high schools.
The data also reveals significant differences in the racial makeup and socioeconomic status of the schools. Merritt Elementary has a higher percentage of white students (84.86%), while East Range Academy of Technical-Science has a more diverse student population, including 11.8% Native American students. Additionally, East Range Academy of Technical-Science has the highest free/reduced lunch rate at 77.64%, indicating a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students, which may contribute to the school's lower academic performance. These factors highlight the importance of addressing equity and access to quality education in the Mountain Iron area.
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