Is Nisswa Elementary a good school?

Nisswa Elementary ranks 147 th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Nisswa Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 264 students attended Nisswa Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Nisswa Elementary?

Students at Nisswa Elementary are 92% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Nisswa Elementary attend?

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

Nisswa Elementary

Summary:

Nisswa Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in the Brainerd Public School District, with a student population of 264. Located in Nisswa, Minnesota, the school has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, with a current statewide ranking of 147 out of 881 schools and a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Nisswa Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming the Brainerd Public School District and the state of Minnesota in proficiency rates for both Math and Reading on the MCA-III assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 71.57% of students proficient or better in Math, compared to 47.4% for the district and 45.47% for the state. In Reading, Nisswa Elementary had 59.8% of students proficient or better, compared to 55.26% for the district and 49.85% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd and 4th grade Math, with proficiency rates of 77.08% and 66.67%, respectively. Additionally, Nisswa Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at 33.71%, compared to the district average of 72.49% at Harrison Elementary and 66.88% at Garfield Elementary.

Nisswa Elementary's success can also be attributed to its favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.8 in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the district average of 11-13.6 at the other elementary schools. While the school has a relatively homogeneous student population, with over 92% of students identifying as White, it outperforms the nearby Pine River-Backus Elementary, Crosslake Community schools, and even the high-performing Eagle View Elementary in the Pequot Lakes Public Schools district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

5533 Lakers Lane
Nisswa, MN 56468-8888

(218) 961-6860

District: Brainerd Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
147^th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,324

Students who attend Nisswa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Forestview Middle
High:	Brainerd Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 264

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.0%

Two or more races:

4.9%

Hispanic:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Nisswa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Nisswa Elementary ranks better than 83.3% of elementary schools in Minnesota. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Brainerd Public School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.74. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (92%), two or more races (4.9%), Hispanic (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 33.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Brainerd Public School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nisswa Elementary is 12.8. 3 elementary schools in the Brainerd Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Nisswa Elementary employs 20.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nisswa Elementary is $12,324. 3 elementary schools in the Brainerd Public School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Nisswa Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Nisswa Elementary 147^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Nisswa Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

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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Rank History for Nisswa Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Nisswa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	74.91	130^th	674	80.7%
2004	84.44	45^th	676	93.3%
2005	74.99	124^th	685	81.9%
2006	78.96	93^rd	756	87.7%
2007	81.96	64^th	777	91.8%
2008	87.47	23^rd	781	97.1%
2009	68.52	133^rd	434	69.4%
2010	64.56	320^th	803	60.1%
2011	70.66	219^th	814	73.1%
2012	64.98	321^st	820	60.9%
2013	81.99	88^th	824	89.3%
2014	86.11	41^st	826	95.0%
2015	81.64	93^rd	840	88.9%
2016	84.11	62^nd	848	92.7%
2017	77.69	155^th	853	81.8%
2018	65.89	310^th	847	63.4%
2019	66.62	314^th	870	63.9%
2021	73.77	207^th	869	76.2%
2022	80.70	128^th	858	85.1%
2023	74.17	215^th	845	74.6%
2024	79.74	147^th	881	83.3%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Nisswa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	67.02	212^th	728	70.9%
2019	75.04	127^th	740	82.8%
2021	89.16	31^st	683	95.5%
2023	73.98	146^th	774	81.1%
2024	87.04	47^th	793	94.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Nisswa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	67.64	258^th	774	66.7%
2019	63.50	320^th	787	59.3%
2021	65.30	281^st	783	64.1%
2022	79.72	112^th	799	86.0%
2023	73.96	193^rd	787	75.5%
2024	77.63	147^th	809	81.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Nisswa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	61.06	342^nd	779	56.1%
2019	65.53	299^th	798	62.5%
2021	75.54	155^th	784	80.2%
2022	77.85	140^th	808	82.7%
2023	70.46	227^th	799	71.6%
2024	77.72	152^nd	826	81.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Nisswa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	41.33	467^th	712	34.4%
2019	42.49	471^st	722	34.8%
2021	57.54	283^rd	710	60.1%
2022	65.39	224^th	725	69.1%
2023	57.53	302^nd	712	57.6%
2024	66.78	211^th	730	71.1%

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 Nisswa Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	271	0	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	273
1989	284	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	285
1990	283	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	285
1991	262	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	266
1992	279	1	2	0	4	n/a	n/a	286
1993	289	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	292
1994	300	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	302
1995	298	1	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	302
1996	298	1	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	302
1997	322	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	324
1998	317	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	318
1999	350	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	350
2000	328	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	329
2001	311	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	311
2002	336	0	0	4	4	n/a	n/a	344
2003	336	0	0	4	4	n/a	n/a	344
2004	276	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	278
2005	251	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	255
2006	202	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	204
2007	199	0	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	202
2008	209	1	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	213
2009	255	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	259
2010	289	3	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	293
2011	275	4	1	0	1	0	0	281
2012	275	5	3	2	2	0	1	288
2013	263	2	2	2	3	0	3	275
2014	262	0	1	2	2	0	1	268
2015	268	0	0	2	0	0	0	270
2016	274	2	0	2	0	0	2	280
2017	291	1	0	3	0	0	5	300
2018	292	0	0	4	0	0	8	304
2019	288	0	0	3	0	0	8	299
2020	249	1	1	7	1	0	11	270
2021	238	0	0	7	1	0	14	260
2022	221	0	0	4	0	0	15	240
2023	243	1	0	6	1	0	13	264

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 Nisswa Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	273	15.0	18.2	16.5
1989	285	14.7	19.3	17.2
1990	285	15.5	18.3	11.2
1991	266	17.9	14.8	12
1992	286	17.6	16.2	22
1993	292	16.0	18.3	16.4
1994	302	15.5	19.5	21.2
1995	302	10.3	29.3	18.5
1996	302	10.3	29.3	18.5
1997	324	18.4	17.6	18.2
1998	318	n/a	0.0	16
1999	350	19.6	17.9	12.6
2000	329	19.0	17.3	20.1
2001	311	18.9	16.5	18.6
2002	344	19.1	18.0	20.3
2003	344	19.1	18.0	20.3
2004	278	16.6	16.7	22.3
2005	255	17.1	14.9	21.6
2006	204	15.1	13.5	19.6
2007	202	13.6	14.9	26.7
2008	213	13.6	15.7	24.9
2009	259	15.4	16.8	31.3
2010	293	16.3	17.9	35.2
2011	281	18.8	14.8	33.1
2012	288	18.6	15.4	35.1
2013	275	18.4	14.9	35.3
2014	268	18.4	14.5	31.3
2015	270	17.0	15.8	30.4
2016	280	17.0	16.4	27.9
2017	300	18.6	16.1	28
2018	304	20.1	15.1	27
2019	299	19.1	15.6	29.4
2020	270	19.8	13.6	23
2021	260	19.1	13.5	26.5
2022	240	19.9	12.0	20.4
2023	264	20.6	12.8	33.7

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 Nisswa Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	273	15.0	18.2	16.5
1989	285	14.7	19.3	17.2
1990	285	15.5	18.3	11.2
1991	266	17.9	14.8	12
1992	286	17.6	16.2	22
1993	292	16.0	18.3	16.4
1994	302	15.5	19.5	21.2
1995	302	10.3	29.3	18.5
1996	302	10.3	29.3	18.5
1997	324	18.4	17.6	18.2
1998	318	n/a	0.0	16
1999	350	19.6	17.9	12.6
2000	329	19.0	17.3	20.1
2001	311	18.9	16.5	18.6
2002	344	19.1	18.0	20.3
2003	344	19.1	18.0	20.3
2004	278	16.6	16.7	22.3
2005	255	17.1	14.9	21.6
2006	204	15.1	13.5	19.6
2007	202	13.6	14.9	26.7
2008	213	13.6	15.7	24.9
2009	259	15.4	16.8	31.3
2010	293	16.3	17.9	35.2
2011	281	18.8	14.8	33.1
2012	288	18.6	15.4	35.1
2013	275	18.4	14.9	35.3
2014	268	18.4	14.5	31.3
2015	270	17.0	15.8	30.4
2016	280	17.0	16.4	27.9
2017	300	18.6	16.1	28
2018	304	20.1	15.1	27
2019	299	19.1	15.6	29.4
2020	270	19.8	13.6	23
2021	260	19.1	13.5	26.5
2022	240	19.9	12.0	20.4
2023	264	20.6	12.8	33.7

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 Nisswa Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,324

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Nisswa 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 314^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 215^th of 845 Elementary schools	10.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Nisswa Elementary)	70.2	65.5	4.7%
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 (Nisswa Elementary)	61.7	44.8	16.9%
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 (Nisswa Elementary)	64.7	85.4	20.7%
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 (Nisswa Elementary)	64.7	70.8	6.1%
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	299	264	11.7%
African American	0	1
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	3	6	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	288	243	15.6%
Two or More Races	8	13	62.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29.4%	33.7%	4.3%

Schools Near Nisswa 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 7th 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
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	264	21	12.8	33.7%	243 (92.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.9%)	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
Eagle View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6539 County Rd 11	Breezy Point	56472	Crow Wing County	Pequot Lakes Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 562-6100	601	46	13.1	39.3%	576 (95.8%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	81.8	124^th of 881 public elementary schools	85.9%		80.3	138^th of 845 public elementary schools	83.7%	14	70.9	72.2				71.6	62.2	62.2				62.2			$10,458
Discovery Woods	Public, Charter	K-6	604 N 7th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Discovery Woods	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 828-8200	102	8	12.2	56.9%	88 (86.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (10.8%)	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
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	320	27	11.9	66.9%	276 (86.3%)	3 (0.9%)	8 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.3%)	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
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	342	25	13.6	40.4%	308 (90.1%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.1%)	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
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	472	42	11.1	65.5%	411 (87.1%)	5 (1.1%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (7.0%)	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
Harrison Elementary	Public	K-4	1515 Oak St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6500	229	21	11.0	72.5%	190 (83.0%)	4 (1.7%)	10 (4.4%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.7%)	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
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	501	37	13.4	37.1%	463 (92.4%)	5 (1.0%)	6 (1.2%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	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
Crosslake Community Seat Based	Public, Charter	K-8	35808 County Rd 66	Crosslake	56442	Crow Wing County	Crosslake Community Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 692-5437	141	14	9.8	51.1%	130 (92.2%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (2.8%)	2 (1.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	47.2	527^th of 881 public elementary schools	40.2%		49	495^th of 845 public elementary schools	41.4%	32	26.1	50.0	14.3	40.0	36.4	33.7	21.7	55.6	78.6	70.0	63.6	51.8	71.4	55.0	$12,610
Crosslake Community K-5 Online	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-5	35808 County Road 66	Crosslake	56442	Crow Wing County	Crosslake Community Charter School	Yes	No	Yes	No	(218) 537-3623	20	2	9.8	75.0%	16 (80.0%)	1 (5.0%)	1 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (10.0%)								(n/a)

Nisswa Elementary

Nisswa Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Brainerd Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Nisswa Elementary

Rank History for all students at Nisswa Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Nisswa Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Nisswa Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Nisswa Elementary

Rank History for White students at Nisswa Elementary

Enrollment information for Nisswa Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Nisswa Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Nisswa Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Nisswa Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Nisswa Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Nisswa Elementary