Lester Park Elementary

Summary:

Lester Park Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Duluth, Minnesota, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. With consistently strong academic results, the school ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, outperforming both the Duluth Public School District and the state of Minnesota on standardized assessments.

Lester Park Elementary's academic excellence is particularly noteworthy, with over 63% of students proficient or better in MCA-III Math and 70% in MCA-III Reading, compared to the district and state averages. The school's performance is even more impressive in Science, with 75.79% of students achieving proficiency, significantly higher than the district and state. This consistent high performance suggests the school has effective teaching practices, curriculum, and support systems in place to help students succeed.

While Lester Park Elementary's academic achievements are impressive, the school's student population is significantly less diverse compared to nearby schools, such as Laura MacArthur Elementary, North Shore Community School, and Piedmont Elementary. Additionally, the school serves a relatively more affluent community, with a lower percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch compared to the surrounding Duluth Public School District. These factors may contribute to the school's high academic performance, but also raise questions about equity and access for students from underrepresented backgrounds.


Detail:

Public K-5

 5300 Glenwood St
       Duluth, MN  55804-8888


(218) 336-8875

District: Duluth Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
104th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,351 Help


Students who attend Lester Park Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Ordean East Middle School
High:    East High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.0 Help
Number of students:  575

Racial breakdown:

White:
88.7%
Two or more races:
7.3%
Hispanic:
1.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  20.2% Help


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 Compare Lester Park Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Lester Park Elementary ranks better than 88.2% of elementary schools in Minnesota. It also ranks 4th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Duluth Public School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.73. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Lester Park Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Duluth Public School District. Racial makeup is: White (88.7%), two or more races (7.3%), Hispanic (1.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 20.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lester Park Elementary is 15. 6 elementary schools in the Duluth Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Lester Park Elementary employs 38.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lester Park Elementary is $13,351. 6 elementary schools in the Duluth Public School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lester Park Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Lester Park Elementary 104th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Lester Park 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:


Duluth Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Duluth Public School District 191st of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Lester Park Elementary?

Rank History for Lester Park Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 88.65 14th 674 97.9%
2004 83.74 47th 676 93.0%
2005 88.66 6th 685 99.1%
2006 89.12 14th 756 98.1%
2007 88.19 18th 777 97.7%
2008 89.11 7th 781 99.1%
2010 80.74 63rd 803 92.2%
2011 81.29 73rd 814 91.0%
2012 67.85 268th 820 67.3%
2013 78.32 130th 824 84.2%
2014 72.18 218th 826 73.6%
2015 70.96 244th 840 71.0%
2016 85.61 50th 848 94.1%
2017 88.08 32nd 853 96.2%
2018 90.90 18th 847 97.9%
2019 89.32 32nd 870 96.3%
2021 91.58 25th 869 97.1%
2022 92.90 14th 858 98.4%
2023 88.02 58th 845 93.1%
2024 83.73 104th 881 88.2%
See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 84.05 9th 77 88.3%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.11 40th 463 91.4%
2019 82.68 45th 515 91.3%
2021 45.51 236th 417 43.4%
2022 96.77 3rd 500 99.4%
2023 97.62 2nd 524 99.6%
2024 81.24 61st 572 89.3%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.55 82nd 728 88.7%
2019 77.43 102nd 740 86.2%
2021 87.12 41st 683 94.0%
2022 92.40 15th 663 97.7%
2023 89.27 29th 774 96.3%
2024 87.82 36th 793 95.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.06 4th 774 99.5%
2019 86.30 44th 787 94.4%
2021 90.59 22nd 783 97.2%
2022 91.47 11th 799 98.6%
2023 87.53 54th 787 93.1%
2024 81.57 101st 809 87.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.40 39th 779 95.0%
2019 89.75 23rd 798 97.1%
2021 89.53 26th 784 96.7%
2022 91.72 15th 808 98.1%
2023 85.35 68th 799 91.5%
2024 81.88 111th 826 86.6%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Lester Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.72 39th 712 94.5%
2019 81.65 78th 722 89.2%
2021 84.59 48th 710 93.2%
2022 87.10 36th 725 95.0%
2023 77.66 117th 712 83.6%
2024 69.30 190th 730 74.0%
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.

Lester Park Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, October 16, 2017

Open Quote Although there are issues that need to be addressed in the Duluth Public School District, I can still highly recommend Lester Park Elementary School to all interested families. The teachers that my kids have had have all been terrific. The teachers and the principal are repsonsive and respectful. There have been many opportunities for educational field trips and fun activities. The Lester Park Foundation is a dedicated group of parents and community members that provide enrichment opportunities such as French Club, Sign Language Club. Lego Robotics, Destination Imagination, and more. The school also has a Running Club, After School Ski Program, an after school child care program, and too many other things to list. Yes, some of the classes are too big (over 25), but the teachers have been phenomenal and professional in handling this issue. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Lester Park Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 395 1 1 0 1 n/a n/a 0 398
1989 424 2 2 1 5 n/a n/a 0 434
1990 413 4 3 0 9 n/a n/a 0 429
1991 419 2 5 1 3 n/a n/a 0 430
1992 428 0 4 1 7 n/a n/a 0 440
1993 305 0 1 0 3 n/a n/a 0 309
1994 334 1 3 1 2 n/a n/a 0 341
1995 329 3 5 0 1 n/a n/a 0 338
1996 329 3 5 0 1 n/a n/a 0 338
1997 286 4 4 0 5 n/a n/a 0 299
1998 255 3 2 1 8 n/a n/a 0 269
1999 243 2 0 2 3 n/a n/a 0 250
2000 281 2 2 3 2 n/a n/a 0 290
2001 309 3 2 2 1 n/a n/a 0 317
2002 294 5 6 3 3 n/a n/a 0 311
2003 294 5 6 3 3 n/a n/a 0 311
2004 299 5 2 3 7 n/a n/a 0 316
2005 291 2 3 2 5 n/a n/a 0 303
2006 331 2 3 3 2 n/a n/a 0 341
2007 318 1 4 3 2 n/a n/a 0 328
2008 310 2 5 1 6 n/a n/a 0 324
2009 314 4 6 2 6 n/a n/a 0 332
2010 299 4 8 4 7 n/a n/a 0 322
2011 310 1 8 4 3 1 8 0 335
2012 497 6 10 11 2 1 20 0 547
2013 489 5 9 11 5 2 23 0 544
2014 493 6 10 9 6 0 22 0 546
2015 468 4 4 11 8 0 20 0 515
2016 440 6 6 9 6 0 29 0 496
2017 435 4 8 9 6 0 28 0 490
2018 492 6 5 10 7 0 33 0 553
2019 519 3 6 11 7 0 28 0 574
2020 523 4 6 13 6 0 30 0 582
2021 491 5 6 9 5 0 30 0 546
2022 484 3 4 14 3 0 35 0 543
2023 510 2 6 11 4 0 42 0 575

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 Lester Park Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 398 17.7 22.4 15.1
1989 434 18.7 23.2 10.8
1990 429 17.0 25.2 12.6
1991 430 17.1 25.1 13
1992 440 16.5 26.6 9.8
1993 309 12.1 25.5 10.7
1994 341 15.5 22.0 11.4
1995 338 15.4 21.9 9.2
1996 338 15.4 21.9 9.2
1997 299 13.5 22.1 12.7
1998 269 n/a 0.0 10.4
1999 250 15.0 16.7 10
2000 290 16.3 17.8 16.2
2001 317 15.5 20.5 19.2
2002 311 14.3 21.7 19
2003 311 14.3 21.7 19
2004 316 13.0 24.3 23.1
2005 303 14.3 21.2 23.4
2006 341 13.0 26.2 18.2
2007 328 15.5 21.2 17.4
2008 324 15.7 20.6 11.4
2009 332 14.1 23.5 17.2
2010 322 12.7 25.2 19.3
2011 335 14.0 23.8 20.3
2012 547 27.4 19.9 26.5
2013 544 24.8 21.8 25.9
2014 546 26.5 20.5 26.7
2015 515 25.0 20.6 22.7
2016 496 24.0 20.6 20.4
2017 490 24.5 19.9 15.3
2018 553 28.8 19.2 16.5
2019 574 30.1 19.0 13.8
2020 582 19.9 29.2 15.1
2021 546 33.5 16.2 14.8
2022 543 34.5 15.7 12.5
2023 575 38.1 15.0 20.2

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 Lester Park Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 398 17.7 22.4 15.1
1989 434 18.7 23.2 10.8
1990 429 17.0 25.2 12.6
1991 430 17.1 25.1 13
1992 440 16.5 26.6 9.8
1993 309 12.1 25.5 10.7
1994 341 15.5 22.0 11.4
1995 338 15.4 21.9 9.2
1996 338 15.4 21.9 9.2
1997 299 13.5 22.1 12.7
1998 269 n/a 0.0 10.4
1999 250 15.0 16.7 10
2000 290 16.3 17.8 16.2
2001 317 15.5 20.5 19.2
2002 311 14.3 21.7 19
2003 311 14.3 21.7 19
2004 316 13.0 24.3 23.1
2005 303 14.3 21.2 23.4
2006 341 13.0 26.2 18.2
2007 328 15.5 21.2 17.4
2008 324 15.7 20.6 11.4
2009 332 14.1 23.5 17.2
2010 322 12.7 25.2 19.3
2011 335 14.0 23.8 20.3
2012 547 27.4 19.9 26.5
2013 544 24.8 21.8 25.9
2014 546 26.5 20.5 26.7
2015 515 25.0 20.6 22.7
2016 496 24.0 20.6 20.4
2017 490 24.5 19.9 15.3
2018 553 28.8 19.2 16.5
2019 574 30.1 19.0 13.8
2020 582 19.9 29.2 15.1
2021 546 33.5 16.2 14.8
2022 543 34.5 15.7 12.5
2023 575 38.1 15.0 20.2

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 Lester Park Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $13,351

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lester Park 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 32nd of 870 Elementary schoolsRanks 58th of 845 Elementary schools
 3.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Lester Park Elementary)73.372.9
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Duluth Public School District)65.959
 6.9%
   3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)65.659.1
 6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Lester Park Elementary)72.258.1
 14.1%
   3rd Grade Reading (Duluth Public School District)60.548.9
 11.7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)54.647.4
 7.2%
4th Grade Math (Lester Park Elementary)83.963.3
 20.6%
   4th Grade Math (Duluth Public School District)68.561.2
 7.3%
   4th Grade Math (Minnesota)63.957.1
 6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Lester Park Elementary)89.771.1
 18.6%
   4th Grade Reading (Duluth Public School District)64.857.1
 7.7%
   4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)55.448.4
 7.1%
5th Grade Math (Lester Park Elementary)80.275
 5.2%
   5th Grade Math (Duluth Public School District)5449.6
 4.5%
   5th Grade Math (Minnesota)5244.4
 7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Lester Park Elementary)87.891.4
 3.6%
   5th Grade Reading (Duluth Public School District)6867.9
 0.2%
   5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)65.858.7
 7%
5th Grade Science (Lester Park Elementary)87.989.7
 1.8%
   5th Grade Science (Duluth Public School District)63.163.2
 0.2%
   5th Grade Science (Minnesota)54.948.4
 6.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students574575
 0.2%
African American32
 33.3%
American Indian74
 42.9%
Asian66
Hispanic1111
Pacific Islander00
White519510
 1.7%
Two or More Races2842
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients13.8%20.2%
 6.4%


Schools Near Lester Park Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Lester Park Elementary

Lester Park Elementary ranks 104th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Lester Park Elementary are 89% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 575 students attended Lester Park Elementary.

Students who attend Lester Park Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ordean East Middle School
High : East High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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