Is LILA Lower School a good school?

LILA Lower School ranks 462 nd of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend LILA Lower School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 581 students attended LILA Lower School.

What is the racial makeup of LILA Lower School?

Students at LILA Lower School are 76% White, 11% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

LILA Lower School

Summary:

LILA Lower School is a public charter elementary school located in Forest Lake, Minnesota, serving grades 1-5 with a total enrollment of 581 students. The school is part of the Lakes International Language Academy district, which is ranked 128 out of 463 districts in Minnesota and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

LILA Lower School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (76.08%) compared to the state average and nearby schools like Centerville Elementary and Wyoming Elementary. The school's academic performance, as measured by MCA-III test scores, is generally on par with or slightly below the state and district averages, but its performance for Hispanic students is notably strong, ranking 19th out of 209 Minnesota elementary schools in 2021-2022. Additionally, LILA Lower School has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (21.86% in 2022-2023) and a student-teacher ratio of 14.1, which is lower than the state average and several nearby schools.

While LILA Lower School's overall academic performance is average, the school's performance for certain student subgroups is noteworthy. The school ranks highly for Hispanic students and multi-racial students, indicating it may be effectively serving these populations. However, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 328 out of 870 Minnesota elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 462 out of 881 in 2023-2024, suggesting the need for further analysis and potential improvements to better serve its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public, Charter 1-5

246 SE 11th Ave
Forest Lake, MN 55025-1823

(651) 464-0771

District: Lakes International Language Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
462^nd of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,418

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 581

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.1%

Hispanic:

10.8%

Asian:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 21.9%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare LILA Lower School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details LILA Lower School ranks worse than 52.4% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.38. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.1%), Hispanic (10.8%), Asian (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 21.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at LILA Lower School is 14.1. (See more...)

Compare LILA Lower School employs 40.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at LILA Lower School is $9,418.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

LILA Lower School:

SchoolDigger ranks LILA Lower School 462^nd of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See LILA Lower School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Lakes International Language Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Lakes International Language Academy 128^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for LILA Lower School.

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Your rating for LILA Lower School?

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Rank History for LILA Lower School

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Rank History for all students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2006	56.49	391^st	756	48.3%
2007	57.08	376^th	777	51.6%
2008	62.13	332^nd	781	57.5%
2010	57.32	426^th	803	46.9%
2011	51.08	496^th	814	39.1%
2012	60.87	386^th	820	52.9%
2013	47.15	521^st	824	36.8%
2014	47.60	531^st	826	35.7%
2016	56.98	438^th	848	48.3%
2017	52.33	484^th	853	43.3%
2018	64.90	323^rd	847	61.9%
2019	65.40	328^th	870	62.3%
2021	51.27	504^th	869	42.0%
2022	44.55	545^th	858	36.5%
2023	52.22	455^th	845	46.2%
2024	52.38	462^nd	881	47.6%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	74.10	23^rd	96	76.0%
2021	74.98	13^th	45	71.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	41.69	284^th	463	38.7%
2021	42.36	256^th	417	38.6%
2022	71.71	103^rd	500	79.4%
2023	68.42	125^th	524	76.1%
2024	44.04	324^th	572	43.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	67.15	210^th	728	71.2%
2019	77.82	98^th	740	86.8%
2022	38.78	428^th	663	35.4%
2023	50.57	400^th	774	48.3%
2024	38.87	524^th	793	33.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	66.83	269^th	774	65.2%
2019	67.05	270^th	787	65.7%
2021	46.01	496^th	783	36.7%
2022	37.55	556^th	799	30.4%
2023	35.03	559^th	787	29.0%
2024	42.34	519^th	809	35.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	58.50	370^th	779	52.5%
2019	59.97	372^nd	798	53.4%
2021	53.73	410^th	784	47.7%
2022	50.68	452^nd	808	44.1%
2023	68.29	252^nd	799	68.5%
2024	60.60	335^th	826	59.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2022	83.64	19^th	209	90.9%
2023	45.30	106^th	214	50.5%
2024	56.14	87^th	249	65.1%

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

Rank History for White students at LILA Lower School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	45.50	431^st	712	39.5%
2019	46.39	429^th	722	40.6%
2021	25.98	608^th	710	14.4%
2022	21.33	640^th	725	11.7%
2023	33.83	526^th	712	26.1%
2024	34.27	527^th	730	27.8%

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: 3.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, August 28, 2018

We used to love the school when it was just K-6. At the time, it was a great school with excellent teachers and a warm community feel. We were excited at the prospect of it becoming K-12. Unfortunately, the excellence of the lower school did not continue into the upper school and we could not recommend it in good conscience. This is very sad. We’ve had some wonderful teachers over the years, but sadly most are gone now. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, May 25, 2017

Used to be a great school years ago. However, they have gone down hill considerably. Class size is now in the high 20's, there is a huge teacher turnover, and the building is overfilled. They are growing too quickly for their own good. There is also an extreme lack of discipline-the kids are in chaos. I used to love this school--now I'm pulling my kids. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, November 8, 2012

Caring and talented teachers help my children reach their potential academically and socially. They not only learn academic content that exceeds state standards, they do it while becoming truly bilingual communicators. Under the IB curriculum, they also get instruction in important life skills: the importance of being balanced, principled, caring and open-minded. Close Quote

Enrollment information for LILA Lower School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	152	2	2	16	2	n/a	n/a	174
2006	247	3	4	28	2	n/a	n/a	284
2007	323	3	6	35	2	n/a	n/a	369
2008	388	3	8	44	1	n/a	n/a	444
2009	440	4	11	47	1	n/a	n/a	503
2010	484	3	10	55	0	n/a	n/a	552
2011	554	1	5	37	1	0	0	598
2012	605	0	5	31	1	0	0	642
2013	662	0	3	25	1	0	0	691
2014	581	0	5	75	3	0	28	692
2015	396	2	7	52	3	0	35	495
2016	503	3	10	61	3	0	49	629
2017	538	3	12	60	4	0	49	666
2018	535	5	17	53	4	0	43	657
2019	521	2	16	57	3	0	38	637
2020	513	4	17	51	3	0	29	617
2021	476	2	16	53	3	0	25	575
2022	448	12	15	58	3	0	26	562
2023	442	18	29	63	4	0	25	581

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 LILA Lower School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	174	8.3	21.0	15.5
2006	284	14.5	19.6	10.6
2007	369	18.8	19.6	12.5
2008	444	22.0	20.2	9.2
2009	503	27.0	18.6	7.6
2010	552	31.3	17.6	12.1
2011	598	34.3	17.4	12.4
2012	642	33.6	19.1	11.5
2013	691	35.4	19.5	11.6
2014	692	46.0	15.0	10.3
2015	495	28.0	17.6	12.7
2016	629	35.0	17.9	10
2017	666	42.0	15.8	11.4
2018	657	41.9	15.6	12
2019	637	41.6	15.3	11.8
2020	617	41.4	14.8	10.5
2021	575	40.5	14.1	8
2022	562	44.5	12.6	8.5
2023	581	40.9	14.1	21.9

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 LILA Lower School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	174	8.3	21.0	15.5
2006	284	14.5	19.6	10.6
2007	369	18.8	19.6	12.5
2008	444	22.0	20.2	9.2
2009	503	27.0	18.6	7.6
2010	552	31.3	17.6	12.1
2011	598	34.3	17.4	12.4
2012	642	33.6	19.1	11.5
2013	691	35.4	19.5	11.6
2014	692	46.0	15.0	10.3
2015	495	28.0	17.6	12.7
2016	629	35.0	17.9	10
2017	666	42.0	15.8	11.4
2018	657	41.9	15.6	12
2019	637	41.6	15.3	11.8
2020	617	41.4	14.8	10.5
2021	575	40.5	14.1	8
2022	562	44.5	12.6	8.5
2023	581	40.9	14.1	21.9

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 LILA Lower School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,418

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on LILA Lower School

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 328^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 455^th of 845 Elementary schools	16.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (LILA Lower School)	73.6	56.8	16.8%
3rd Grade Math (Lakes International Language Academy)	73.6	56.8	16.8%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (LILA Lower School)	50.8	43.2	7.6%
3rd Grade Reading (Lakes International Language Academy)	50.8	43.2	7.6%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (LILA Lower School)	71.7	62.9	8.8%
4th Grade Math (Lakes International Language Academy)	71.7	62.9	8.8%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (LILA Lower School)	63.8	51.9	11.9%
4th Grade Reading (Lakes International Language Academy)	63.8	51.9	11.9%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	637	581	8.8%
African American	2	18	800%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	16	29	81.3%
Hispanic	57	63	10.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	521	442	15.2%
Two or More Races	38	25	34.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.8%	21.9%	10.1%

Schools Near LILA Lower School

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
LILA Lower School	Public, Charter	1-5	246 SE 11th Ave	Forest Lake	55025	Washington County	Lakes International Language Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 464-0771	581	41	14.1	21.9%	442 (76.1%)	18 (3.1%)	63 (10.8%)	29 (5.0%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.3%)	52.4	462^nd of 881 public elementary schools	47.6%		52.2	455^th of 845 public elementary schools	46.2%	7	50.8	59.4	53.4		54.3	37.5	44.4	63.5		47.7	37.5	37.5	$9,418
LILA Kinder Center	Public, Charter	PK-K	121 SE 11th Ave	Forest Lake	55025	Washington County	Lakes International Language Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 464-0771	127	7	18.8	23.6%	98 (77.2%)	4 (3.1%)	16 (12.6%)	4 (3.1%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)								(n/a)													$8,646
Forest View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	620 SW 4th St	Forest Lake	55025	Washington County	Forest Lake Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 982-8200	360	29	12.4	49.7%	246 (68.3%)	15 (4.2%)	35 (9.7%)	30 (8.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.6%)								(n/a)	40.0				40.0	25.9				25.9			$13,799
North Lakes Academy Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	4576 232nd St N	Forest Lake	55025	Washington County	North Lakes Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 797-6266	283	11	26.1	37.5%	243 (85.9%)	2 (0.7%)	12 (4.2%)	11 (3.9%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)	48.7	506^th of 881 public elementary schools	42.6%		44.7	533^rd of 845 public elementary schools	36.9%	27	70.3	42.6	42.5		50.4	51.4	33.3	50.0		43.5	47.4	47.4
Columbus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	17345 Notre Dame St	Forest Lake	55025	Washington County	Forest Lake Public School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 982-8900	432	26	16.9	22.9%	348 (80.6%)	4 (0.9%)	14 (3.2%)	52 (12.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	78.4	156^th of 881 public elementary schools	82.3%		71.8	230^th of 845 public elementary schools	72.8%	74	77.1	71.4	67.2	62.2	70.3	52.9	58.7	67.2	54.6	58.3	55.2	55.2	$11,912
Wyoming Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	25701 Forest Blvd N	Wyoming	55092	Chisago County	Forest Lake Public School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 982-8000	488	31	15.7	30.9%	420 (86.1%)	7 (1.4%)	27 (5.5%)	22 (4.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	75.5	192^nd of 881 public elementary schools	78.2%		73.7	217^th of 845 public elementary schools	74.3%	25	74.6	53.5	66.7	57.4	62.8	42.9	47.9	73.6	70.6	59.1	67.1	67.1	$11,377
Oneka Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4888 Heritage Pkwy N	Hugo	55038	Washington County	White Bear Lake School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 288-1800	425	38	11.1	22.4%	335 (78.8%)	27 (6.4%)	15 (3.5%)	27 (6.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.7%)	64.2	320^th of 881 public elementary schools	63.7%		68.5	270^th of 845 public elementary schools	68.0%	50	64.3	62.0	36.1		54.3	51.4	60.8	61.1		57.9	46.5	46.5	$11,004
North Star Elementary	Public	K-5	15198 Forest Blvd N	Hugo	55038	Washington County	White Bear Lake School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 242-5500	473	24	19.8	29.4%	371 (78.4%)	23 (4.9%)	19 (4.0%)	37 (7.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	60.2	370^th of 881 public elementary schools	58.0%					(n/a)	62.0	60.0	49.4		57.1	41.8	48.0	63.3		51.1	45.6	45.6
Lino Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	725 Main Street	Lino Lakes	55014	Anoka County	Forest Lake Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 982-8850	444	28	15.7	34.9%	293 (66.0%)	45 (10.1%)	28 (6.3%)	48 (10.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.5%)	65.4	310^th of 881 public elementary schools	64.8%		67.1	279^th of 845 public elementary schools	67.0%	31	57.6	55.1	38.2	58.5	52.1	49.2	55.1	58.8	73.9	59.4	47.1	47.1	$10,330
Chisago Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	11009 284th St	Chisago City	55013	Chisago County	Chisago Lakes School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 213-2200	398	26	15.2	24.1%	363 (91.2%)	2 (0.5%)	9 (2.3%)	4 (1.0%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.8%)								(n/a)													$10,709

LILA Lower School

LILA Lower School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lakes International Language Academy:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for LILA Lower School

Rank History for all students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for Special Education students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for Female students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for Male students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for Hispanic students at LILA Lower School

Rank History for White students at LILA Lower School

Review counts

Enrollment information for LILA Lower School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at LILA Lower School

Student/Teacher Ratio LILA Lower School

Per Pupil Expenditures for LILA Lower School

Impact of COVID-19 on LILA Lower School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near LILA Lower School

Frequently Asked Questions about LILA Lower School

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