Is Cherry Elementary a good school?

Cherry Elementary ranks 486 th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cherry Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 307 students attended Cherry Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cherry Elementary?

Students at Cherry Elementary are 88% White, 8% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Cherry Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cherry Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Cherry Secondary

Cherry Elementary

Summary:

Cherry Elementary is a public elementary school located in Iron, Minnesota, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of 307. The school faces several challenges, including a lack of racial diversity, below-average academic performance, and growing economic disadvantage among its student population.

Cherry Elementary's academic performance, as measured by MCA-III test scores, is generally below the state average across all grades and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in math and reading for all grades were 37.04% and 56.79%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 45.47% and 49.85%. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with male students performing better than the state average in math, while female students and white students perform significantly worse. Additionally, special education students at the school rank in the bottom 25% of Nashwauk-Keewatin School District.

When compared to nearby elementary schools, such as Merritt Elementary, Cherry Elementary generally performs worse academically, with lower proficiency rates in math, reading, and science. The increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Cherry Elementary, from 32.04% in 2021-2022 to 43.97% in 2022-2023, suggests that the school is serving a growing population of economically disadvantaged students, which may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance. To address these challenges, the school may need to implement targeted interventions and strategies to support the unique needs of its student subgroups, while also exploring ways to collaborate with the surrounding community and nearby schools to share best practices and resources.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3943 Tamminen Rd
Iron, MN 55751-8041

(218) 258-8991

District: St. Louis County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
486^th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,430

Students who attend Cherry Elementary usually attend:

High:

Cherry Secondary

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 307

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.9%

Two or more races:

8.1%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Cherry Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cherry Elementary ranks worse than 55.2% of elementary schools in Minnesota. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the St. Louis County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.68. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Cherry Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the St. Louis County School District. Racial makeup is: White (87.9%), two or more races (8.1%), Hispanic (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 44% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the St. Louis County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cherry Elementary is 12, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the St. Louis County School District! (See more...)

Compare Cherry Elementary employs 25.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cherry Elementary is $10,430, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the St. Louis County School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cherry Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherry Elementary 486^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Cherry Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

St. Louis County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Louis County School District 314^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Cherry Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Cherry Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Cherry Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Cherry Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	36.81	515^th	674	23.6%
2004	41.14	484^th	676	28.4%
2005	37.66	521^st	685	23.9%
2006	61.68	312^th	756	58.7%
2007	74.35	144^th	777	81.5%
2008	69.85	202^nd	781	74.1%
2010	84.77	29^th	803	96.4%
2011	75.51	149^th	814	81.7%
2012	63.90	338^th	820	58.8%
2013	39.40	595^th	824	27.8%
2014	20.60	709^th	826	14.2%
2015	30.33	665^th	840	20.8%
2016	35.09	632^nd	848	25.5%
2017	46.34	542^nd	853	36.5%
2018	44.76	554^th	847	34.6%
2019	41.36	600^th	870	31.0%
2021	51.88	489^th	869	43.7%
2022	49.44	505^th	858	41.1%
2023	46.29	517^th	845	38.8%
2024	50.68	486^th	881	44.8%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cherry Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.81	469^th	524	10.5%
2024	26.94	442^nd	572	22.7%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cherry Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	44.53	461^st	728	36.7%
2019	41.84	471^st	740	36.4%
2021	42.52	424^th	683	37.9%
2022	57.36	279^th	663	57.9%
2023	52.04	388^th	774	49.9%
2024	64.09	258^th	793	67.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cherry Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	48.72	473^rd	774	38.9%
2019	48.07	497^th	787	36.8%
2021	59.00	351^st	783	55.2%
2022	56.86	387^th	799	51.6%
2023	43.86	500^th	787	36.5%
2024	38.37	545^th	809	32.6%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cherry Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	39.01	560^th	779	28.1%
2019	32.49	605^th	798	24.2%
2021	37.73	557^th	784	29.0%
2022	37.15	581^st	808	28.1%
2023	45.19	489^th	799	38.8%
2024	59.63	354^th	826	57.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Cherry Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	20.84	646^th	712	9.3%
2019	16.20	676^th	722	6.4%
2021	28.83	585^th	710	17.6%
2022	24.24	625^th	725	13.8%
2023	23.11	619^th	712	13.1%
2024	32.78	542^nd	730	25.8%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Saturday, September 23, 2017

Cherry has such a dedicated staff!!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Cherry Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1994	257	0	0	14	n/a	n/a	0	271
1995	236	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	238
1996	236	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	238
1997	224	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	226
1998	215	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	1	217
1999	209	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	210
2000	210	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	210
2001	211	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	211
2002	174	1	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	181
2003	174	1	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	181
2004	163	4	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	170
2005	176	3	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	182
2006	171	2	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	179
2007	168	2	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	176
2008	155	3	1	5	n/a	n/a	0	164
2009	154	3	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	163
2010	170	4	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	180
2011	164	1	6	1	2	7	0	181
2012	184	1	5	0	2	7	0	199
2013	194	0	7	0	2	11	0	214
2014	231	0	9	0	2	14	0	256
2015	241	0	6	3	2	17	0	269
2016	222	0	6	2	2	34	0	266
2017	250	0	6	2	2	34	0	294
2018	276	1	6	2	0	35	0	320
2019	291	3	1	3	0	34	0	332
2020	302	1	0	5	0	31	0	339
2021	247	0	1	3	0	35	0	286
2022	271	1	5	5	0	27	0	309
2023	270	1	8	3	0	25	0	307

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cherry Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	271	17.8	15.2	30.3
1995	238	18.0	13.2	26.1
1996	238	18.0	13.2	26.1
1997	226	16.9	13.4	31
1998	217	n/a	0.0	22.7
1999	210	18.7	11.2	17.6
2000	210	17.2	12.2	47.1
2001	211	17.0	12.4	39.3
2002	181	14.2	12.7	42
2003	181	14.2	12.7	42
2004	170	12.7	13.4	41.2
2005	182	12.3	14.8	40.7
2006	179	10.9	16.4	41.9
2007	176	10.0	17.6	43.2
2008	164	10.4	15.8	42.1
2009	163	10.7	15.2	43.6
2010	180	7.5	23.9	50.6
2011	181	9.1	19.8	49.2
2012	199	16.6	11.9	46.2
2013	214	16.7	12.7	47.7
2014	256	14.9	17.1	43.4
2015	269	19.0	14.1	46.5
2016	266	19.0	14.0	45.9
2017	294	21.7	13.5	55.1
2018	320	24.7	12.9	45.9
2019	332	22.6	14.6	44
2020	339	24.4	13.8	39.5
2021	286	23.3	12.2	35
2022	309	23.8	12.9	32
2023	307	25.4	12.0	44

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cherry Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	271	17.8	15.2	30.3
1995	238	18.0	13.2	26.1
1996	238	18.0	13.2	26.1
1997	226	16.9	13.4	31
1998	217	n/a	0.0	22.7
1999	210	18.7	11.2	17.6
2000	210	17.2	12.2	47.1
2001	211	17.0	12.4	39.3
2002	181	14.2	12.7	42
2003	181	14.2	12.7	42
2004	170	12.7	13.4	41.2
2005	182	12.3	14.8	40.7
2006	179	10.9	16.4	41.9
2007	176	10.0	17.6	43.2
2008	164	10.4	15.8	42.1
2009	163	10.7	15.2	43.6
2010	180	7.5	23.9	50.6
2011	181	9.1	19.8	49.2
2012	199	16.6	11.9	46.2
2013	214	16.7	12.7	47.7
2014	256	14.9	17.1	43.4
2015	269	19.0	14.1	46.5
2016	266	19.0	14.0	45.9
2017	294	21.7	13.5	55.1
2018	320	24.7	12.9	45.9
2019	332	22.6	14.6	44
2020	339	24.4	13.8	39.5
2021	286	23.3	12.2	35
2022	309	23.8	12.9	32
2023	307	25.4	12.0	44

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cherry Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,430

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cherry Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 600^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 517^th of 845 Elementary schools	7.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Cherry Elementary)	63.9	58.8	5.1%
3rd Grade Math (St. Louis County School District)	54.8	42.6	12.2%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Cherry Elementary)	55.6	51.4	4.1%
3rd Grade Reading (St. Louis County School District)	54.1	43.9	10.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Cherry Elementary)	47.1	44.4	2.6%
4th Grade Math (St. Louis County School District)	55.2	47.5	7.8%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Cherry Elementary)	38.2	42.2	4%
4th Grade Reading (St. Louis County School District)	44.8	43.1	1.7%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%
5th Grade Math (Cherry Elementary)	41.3	18	23.4%
5th Grade Math (St. Louis County School District)	46.3	29.5	16.8%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Cherry Elementary)	58.7	76.9	18.2%
5th Grade Reading (St. Louis County School District)	63.9	62.3	1.5%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Cherry Elementary)	50	48.7	1.3%
5th Grade Science (St. Louis County School District)	50	43.7	6.3%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%
6th Grade Math (Cherry Elementary)	26.7	8.8	17.9%
6th Grade Math (St. Louis County School District)	38.1	26.2	11.9%
6th Grade Math (Minnesota)	50.5	39.7	10.8%
6th Grade Reading (Cherry Elementary)	68.9	54.4	14.5%
6th Grade Reading (St. Louis County School District)	62.6	52.7	9.9%
6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	62.8	53.4	9.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	332	307	7.5%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	1	8	700%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	291	270	7.2%
Two or More Races	34	25	26.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44%	44%	0%

Schools Near Cherry Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)					MCA-III Reading (2024)					MCA-III Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Cherry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3943 Tamminen Rd	Iron	55751	St. Louis County	St. Louis County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 258-8991	307	25	12.0	44.0%	270 (87.9%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.1%)	50.7	486^th of 881 public elementary schools	44.8%		46.3	517^th of 845 public elementary schools	38.8%	31	63.2	34.2	28.3	25.0	37.0	51.4	34.2	61.7	77.5	56.8	44.7	44.7	$10,430
North Star Elementary	Public	3-6	7 Fayal Avenue	Eveleth	55734	St. Louis County	Rock Ridge Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 742-3943	408	29	14.0	41.7%	326 (79.9%)	8 (2.0%)	13 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (12.3%)	59.5	378^th of 881 public elementary schools	57.1%		46.4	516^th of 845 public elementary schools	38.9%	138	67.9	58.6	31.4	20.6	43.1	43.9	58.1	75.5	49.5	57.5	58.8	58.8
Merritt Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8659 Unity Drive	Mountain Iron	55768	St. Louis County	Mountain Iron-Buhl School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 735-8271	350	22	15.5	51.4%	297 (84.9%)	2 (0.6%)	13 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (10.3%)	67.8	282^nd of 881 public elementary schools	68.0%		72.8	225^th of 845 public elementary schools	73.4%	57	79.6	68.1	45.7	47.8	60.1	65.9	53.2	56.5	59.6	58.7	32.6	32.6	$14,750
Laurentian Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1409 Progress Pkwy	Eveleth	55734	St. Louis County	Rock Ridge Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(218) 735-6202	479	32	15.1	46.6%	420 (87.7%)	4 (0.8%)	11 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.3%)	75.8	188^th of 881 public elementary schools	78.7%					(n/a)	68.4	74.1	48.5	43.1	58.6	57.9	63.8	63.2	59.7	61.4	64.7	64.7
Vaughan-Steffensrud Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	1000 NE 1st Ave	Chisholm	55719	St. Louis County	Chisholm Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 254-5726	214	15	14.0	59.8%	179 (83.6%)	4 (1.9%)	9 (4.2%)	2 (0.9%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.0%)								(n/a)	47.9				47.9	41.7				41.7			$13,037
Hibbing Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	2100 12th Ave E	Hibbing	55746	St. Louis County	Hibbing Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 208-0852	39	0		64.1%	38 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Washington Elementary	Public	K-2	2100 12th Ave E	Hibbing	55746	St. Louis County	Hibbing Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 208-0843	222	28	7.8	68.9%	168 (75.7%)	8 (3.6%)	10 (4.5%)	2 (0.9%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (13.1%)								(n/a)													$13,532
Lincoln Elementary	Public	2-6	1114 E 23rd St	Hibbing	55746	St. Louis County	Hibbing Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 208-0842	622	38	16.3	52.4%	515 (82.8%)	17 (2.7%)	25 (4.0%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.7%)	66.4	293^rd of 881 public elementary schools	66.7%		67.5	275^th of 845 public elementary schools	67.5%	18	72.8	55.2	44.2	38.2	52.7	50.6	50.7	61.3	60.3	55.8	59.4	59.4	$12,433
Greenhaven Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	323 E 37th St	Hibbing	55746	St. Louis County	Hibbing Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 208-0844	225	19	11.8	58.7%	201 (89.3%)	2 (0.9%)	7 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.9%)								(n/a)													$13,969
Parkview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	506 N 9th Ave W	Virginia	55792	St. Louis County	Rock Ridge Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 742-3802	383	26	14.7	53.0%	291 (76.0%)	15 (3.9%)	12 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.7%)								(n/a)

Cherry Elementary

Cherry Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

St. Louis County School District:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cherry Elementary

Rank History for all students at Cherry Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Cherry Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cherry Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Cherry Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Cherry Elementary

Rank History for White students at Cherry Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Cherry Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cherry Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Cherry Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cherry Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Cherry Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cherry Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherry Elementary

Rate Cherry Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!