Is Lowell Elementary a good school?

Yes. Lowell Elementary ranks in the top 7.0% of Minnesota elementary schools.

How many students attend Lowell Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 369 students attended Lowell Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lowell Elementary?

Students at Lowell Elementary are 89% White, 7% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Lowell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lowell Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Forestview Middle High : Brainerd Senior High

Lowell Elementary

Summary:

Lowell Elementary is a public elementary school in Brainerd, Minnesota, serving 342 students in grades K-4. This high-performing school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic achievement and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Lowell Elementary students excel academically, outperforming both the district and state averages in math and reading proficiency. In the 2023-2024 school year, 75% of Lowell students were proficient or better in math, compared to 47.4% for the Brainerd Public School District and 45.47% for the state. The school's strong performance extends across various student subgroups, including female, male, white, special education, and economically disadvantaged students. While Lowell Elementary has a relatively homogeneous student population, with over 90% of students identifying as white, the school's diversity and inclusion efforts may warrant further exploration.

Compared to some nearby schools, such as Eagle View Elementary and Nisswa Elementary, Lowell Elementary's academic performance is exceptional. However, the Pequot Lakes Public Schools and Pillager Public School District also have high-performing elementary schools, suggesting that the Brainerd area is home to several outstanding educational institutions. Lowell Elementary's lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (40.35%) compared to nearby schools like Riverside Elementary (65.47%) and Garfield Elementary (66.88%) may indicate that the school serves a more affluent student population, which could contribute to its academic success.

Detail:

Public K-4

704 3rd Ave NE
Brainerd, MN 56401-2413

(218) 454-6550

District: Brainerd Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
62^nd of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,809

Students who attend Lowell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Forestview Middle
High:	Brainerd Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 369

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.4%

Two or more races:

6.5%

Hispanic:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.9%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Lowell Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lowell Elementary ranks better than 93% of elementary schools in Minnesota. It also ranks first among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Brainerd Public School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.96. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.4%), two or more races (6.5%), Hispanic (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary is 13.6. 5 elementary schools in the Brainerd Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lowell Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lowell Elementary is $11,809. 5 elementary schools in the Brainerd Public School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lowell Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowell Elementary 62^nd of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Lowell 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:

Brainerd Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Brainerd Public School District 157^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Lowell Elementary?

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Rank History for Lowell Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	73.05	145^th	674	78.5%
2004	66.74	219^th	676	67.6%
2005	73.41	148^th	685	78.4%
2006	69.11	205^th	756	72.9%
2007	61.91	313^th	777	59.7%
2008	70.65	187^th	781	76.1%
2009	69.18	127^th	434	70.7%
2010	75.71	131^st	803	83.7%
2011	71.01	212^th	814	74.0%
2012	81.54	71^st	820	91.3%
2013	82.60	79^th	824	90.4%
2014	84.90	56^th	826	93.2%
2015	82.89	82^nd	840	90.2%
2016	86.92	43^rd	848	94.9%
2017	84.09	71^st	853	91.7%
2018	85.97	51^st	847	94.0%
2019	86.09	63^rd	870	92.8%
2021	86.53	72^nd	869	91.7%
2022	88.78	46^th	858	94.6%
2023	92.52	15^th	845	98.2%
2024	87.96	62^nd	881	93.0%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	80.30	59^th	463	87.3%
2019	89.01	19^th	515	96.3%
2021	60.35	135^th	417	67.6%
2022	66.46	136^th	500	72.8%
2023	91.19	18^th	524	96.6%
2024	71.25	113^th	572	80.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	86.54	36^th	728	95.1%
2019	85.47	41^st	740	94.5%
2021	90.47	26^th	683	96.2%
2022	90.19	21^st	663	96.8%
2023	93.10	7^th	774	99.1%
2024	83.43	66^th	793	91.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	87.18	39^th	774	95.0%
2019	83.10	75^th	787	90.5%
2021	82.59	80^th	783	89.8%
2022	78.92	124^th	799	84.5%
2023	93.30	9^th	787	98.9%
2024	86.14	67^th	809	91.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	81.56	92^nd	779	88.2%
2019	85.98	54^th	798	93.2%
2021	85.34	63^rd	784	92.0%
2022	92.72	11^th	808	98.6%
2023	89.61	30^th	799	96.2%
2024	86.32	64^th	826	92.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Lowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	80.70	77^th	712	89.2%
2019	79.85	93^rd	722	87.1%
2021	77.04	112^th	710	84.2%
2022	80.59	84^th	725	88.4%
2023	90.06	20^th	712	97.2%
2024	82.11	78^th	730	89.3%

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

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Enrollment information for Lowell Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	472	2	4	0	3	n/a	n/a	481
1989	520	3	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	527
1990	469	3	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	475
1991	463	2	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	469
1992	416	2	2	1	9	n/a	n/a	430
1993	455	2	2	1	8	n/a	n/a	468
1994	417	1	3	2	6	n/a	n/a	429
1995	394	2	8	2	3	n/a	n/a	409
1996	394	2	8	2	3	n/a	n/a	409
1997	407	2	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	417
1998	390	6	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	404
1999	392	6	4	1	1	n/a	n/a	404
2000	393	9	2	1	3	n/a	n/a	408
2001	371	8	4	1	4	n/a	n/a	388
2002	370	11	1	0	5	n/a	n/a	387
2003	370	11	1	0	5	n/a	n/a	387
2004	355	17	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	379
2005	355	6	2	3	3	n/a	n/a	369
2006	295	0	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	300
2007	291	4	1	3	9	n/a	n/a	308
2008	302	4	1	2	8	n/a	n/a	317
2009	375	10	5	8	6	n/a	n/a	404
2010	387	11	9	12	8	n/a	n/a	427
2011	390	13	6	10	5	1	10	435
2012	378	8	4	8	5	1	12	416
2013	386	6	2	5	6	1	8	414
2014	399	5	4	4	5	1	12	430
2015	379	9	1	3	4	1	14	411
2016	372	10	1	4	4	0	12	403
2017	383	6	1	5	3	0	19	417
2018	390	4	1	4	6	0	18	423
2019	387	3	1	4	9	0	25	429
2020	377	2	1	7	5	0	21	413
2021	343	1	1	10	4	0	14	373
2022	342	1	1	9	3	0	16	372
2023	308	1	1	10	1	0	21	342
2024	330	0	1	11	3	0	24	369

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 Lowell Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	481	23.3	20.6	28.5
1989	527	25.4	20.7	28.5
1990	475	27.4	17.3	29.5
1991	469	26.4	17.7	29.9
1992	430	25.3	16.9	35.6
1993	468	24.8	18.9	34.4
1994	429	26.2	16.4	34.3
1995	409	7.5	54.5	28.9
1996	409	7.5	54.5	28.9
1997	417	26.4	15.8	30.7
1998	404	n/a	0.0	34.9
1999	404	27.8	14.5	32.4
2000	408	26.3	15.5	43.6
2001	388	24.7	15.7	39.4
2002	387	23.2	16.7	41.6
2003	387	23.2	16.7	41.6
2004	379	23.2	16.3	44.3
2005	369	22.7	16.3	45
2006	300	19.5	15.4	42.7
2007	308	18.7	16.5	49.7
2008	317	18.6	17.0	46.1
2009	404	20.0	20.2	41.8
2010	427	22.0	19.4	44.3
2011	435	25.1	17.2	48.3
2012	416	25.0	16.6	47.4
2013	414	26.0	15.9	49.8
2014	430	26.0	16.5	48.4
2015	411	26.0	15.8	47.2
2016	403	24.0	16.7	43.9
2017	417	28.4	14.6	40
2018	423	28.2	15.0	42.1
2019	429	28.7	14.9	44.8
2020	413	27.7	14.9	41.4
2021	373	28.0	13.3	36.5
2022	372	29.6	12.5	31.7
2023	342	24.9	13.6	40.4
2024	369	27.0	13.6	40.9

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 Lowell Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	481	23.3	20.6	28.5
1989	527	25.4	20.7	28.5
1990	475	27.4	17.3	29.5
1991	469	26.4	17.7	29.9
1992	430	25.3	16.9	35.6
1993	468	24.8	18.9	34.4
1994	429	26.2	16.4	34.3
1995	409	7.5	54.5	28.9
1996	409	7.5	54.5	28.9
1997	417	26.4	15.8	30.7
1998	404	n/a	0.0	34.9
1999	404	27.8	14.5	32.4
2000	408	26.3	15.5	43.6
2001	388	24.7	15.7	39.4
2002	387	23.2	16.7	41.6
2003	387	23.2	16.7	41.6
2004	379	23.2	16.3	44.3
2005	369	22.7	16.3	45
2006	300	19.5	15.4	42.7
2007	308	18.7	16.5	49.7
2008	317	18.6	17.0	46.1
2009	404	20.0	20.2	41.8
2010	427	22.0	19.4	44.3
2011	435	25.1	17.2	48.3
2012	416	25.0	16.6	47.4
2013	414	26.0	15.9	49.8
2014	430	26.0	16.5	48.4
2015	411	26.0	15.8	47.2
2016	403	24.0	16.7	43.9
2017	417	28.4	14.6	40
2018	423	28.2	15.0	42.1
2019	429	28.7	14.9	44.8
2020	413	27.7	14.9	41.4
2021	373	28.0	13.3	36.5
2022	372	29.6	12.5	31.7
2023	342	24.9	13.6	40.4
2024	369	27.0	13.6	40.9

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 Lowell Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,809

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lowell 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 63^rd of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 15^th of 845 Elementary schools	5.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Lowell Elementary)	78.3	80.6	2.3%
3rd Grade Math (Brainerd Public School District)	72.6	63.4	9.2%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Lowell Elementary)	86.9	77.6	9.3%
3rd Grade Reading (Brainerd Public School District)	64.9	53	11.9%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Lowell Elementary)	83.5	84.7	1.2%
4th Grade Math (Brainerd Public School District)	71.7	62.1	9.6%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Lowell Elementary)	69.4	73.6	4.2%
4th Grade Reading (Brainerd Public School District)	61.8	53.1	8.8%
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	429	342	20.3%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	9	1	88.9%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	4	10	150%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	387	308	20.4%
Two or More Races	25	21	16%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.8%	40.4%	4.4%

Schools Near Lowell 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
Lowell Elementary	Public	K-4	704 3rd Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6550	369	27	13.6	40.9%	330 (89.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.5%)	88	62^nd of 881 public elementary schools	93.0%		92.5	15^th of 845 public elementary schools	98.2%	47	72.2	78.1			75.0	68.8	72.6			70.7			$11,809
Garfield Elementary	Public	K-4	1120 10th Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6450	278	27	10.3	60.4%	236 (84.9%)	3 (1.1%)	8 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.2%)	52.2	468^th of 881 public elementary schools	46.9%		39.5	580^th of 845 public elementary schools	31.4%	112	58.8	42.1			50.0	51.0	47.4			49.1			$12,674
Discovery Woods	Public, Charter	K-6	604 N 7th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Discovery Woods	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 828-8200	104	11	9.1	67.3%	86 (82.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (11.5%)	29.4	658^th of 881 public elementary schools	25.3%		21.8	679^th of 845 public elementary schools	19.6%	21	23.1		0.0		15.2	23.1		66.7		50.0	40.0	40.0	$9,692
Harrison Elementary	Public	K-4	1515 Oak St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6500	224	19	11.9	67.4%	186 (83.0%)	6 (2.7%)	8 (3.6%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (7.6%)	32.3	638^th of 881 public elementary schools	27.6%		43.9	542^nd of 845 public elementary schools	35.9%	96	42.6	42.2			42.4	25.5	46.7			35.9			$14,382
Riverside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	220 3rd St NW	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6800	461	43	10.8	62.0%	400 (86.8%)	7 (1.5%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.0%)	41.2	573^rd of 881 public elementary schools	35.0%		42.9	552^nd of 845 public elementary schools	34.7%	21	43.1	45.0			44.1	48.6	39.5			43.8			$15,397
Baxter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	12191 Jasperwood Drive	Baxter	56425	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6400	534	39	13.7	34.6%	492 (92.1%)	4 (0.7%)	11 (2.1%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	73.8	220^th of 881 public elementary schools	75.0%		74.7	206^th of 845 public elementary schools	75.6%	14	67.7	68.8			68.2	53.1	57.3			55.2			$11,504
Brainerd Early Childhood Sp. Education	Public	PK	5546 Fairview Rd	Baxter	56425	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-5438	199	29	6.8	66.3%	174 (87.4%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.5%)								(n/a)													$28,603
Nisswa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	5533 Lakers Lane	Nisswa	56468	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 961-6860	255	21	12.3	29.8%	235 (92.2%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)	79.7	147^th of 881 public elementary schools	83.3%		74.2	215^th of 845 public elementary schools	74.6%	68	77.1	66.7			71.6	62.5	57.4			59.8			$12,324
Pillager Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 746-2110	522	41	12.6	47.5%	481 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.7%)	63.6	329^th of 881 public elementary schools	62.7%		63.1	324^th of 845 public elementary schools	61.7%	5	65.9	67.3			66.7	40.7	51.4			46.5			$11,169
Cuyuna Range Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	509 6th Ave NE	Crosby	56441	Crow Wing County	Crosby-Ironton Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 545-8803	530	45	11.8	52.8%	488 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.3%)	58.1	403^rd of 881 public elementary schools	54.3%		68.1	273^rd of 845 public elementary schools	67.7%	130	49.2	40.2	45.6	52.6	46.7	41.3	41.0	59.5	68.4	53.0	55.7	55.7	$12,452

Lowell Elementary

Lowell Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Brainerd Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Lowell Elementary

Rank History for all students at Lowell Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Lowell Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lowell Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Lowell Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Lowell Elementary

Rank History for White students at Lowell Elementary

Enrollment information for Lowell Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lowell Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Lowell Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lowell Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Lowell Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Lowell Elementary