Is Pillager Elementary a good school?

Pillager Elementary ranks 329 th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pillager Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 478 students attended Pillager Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pillager Elementary?

Students at Pillager Elementary are 93% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Pillager Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pillager Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Pillager Middle School High : Pillager Senior High School

Pillager Elementary

Summary:

Pillager Elementary is a public elementary school serving 478 students in grades PK-4 in the town of Pillager, Minnesota, which is part of the Staples-Motley School District. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic achievement, with particularly strong results for female students and those from low-income backgrounds.

Pillager Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with 66.67% of students proficient or better in math compared to just 45.32% for the district and 45.47% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.9 to 14 over the past three years. Interestingly, Pillager Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (93.31%) compared to nearby schools, which have more diverse student populations. While this racial homogeneity may present both opportunities and challenges, the school is effectively supporting its economically disadvantaged students, who perform in the top 15% of Minnesota elementary schools.

When compared to other high-performing schools in the region, Pillager Elementary stands out for its consistent excellence, ranking in the top 40% of Minnesota elementary schools over the past decade. However, nearby schools like Nisswa Elementary and Lowell Elementary also demonstrate strong academic performance, ranking in the top 15% and top 5% of Minnesota elementary schools, respectively. This suggests that Pillager Elementary could benefit from further analysis to identify best practices that could be shared with other high-performing schools in the region.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

323 E 2nd St S
Pillager, MN 56473-8888

(218) 746-2110

District: Pillager Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
329^th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,169

Students who attend Pillager Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pillager Middle School
High:	Pillager Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 478

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.3%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Hispanic:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.5%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Pillager Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pillager Elementary ranks better than 62.7% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.6. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (93.3%), two or more races (4.6%), Hispanic (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pillager Elementary is 11.9. (See more...)

Compare Pillager Elementary employs 40 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pillager Elementary is $11,169.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pillager Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pillager Elementary 329^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Pillager 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:

Pillager Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Pillager Public School District 172^nd of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pillager Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pillager Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	46.59	445^th	674	34.0%
2004	24.32	583^rd	676	13.8%
2005	30.12	568^th	685	17.1%
2006	34.26	620^th	756	18.0%
2007	28.74	662^nd	777	14.8%
2008	40.80	590^th	781	24.5%
2009	44.13	302^nd	434	30.4%
2010	53.05	486^th	803	39.5%
2011	50.40	505^th	814	38.0%
2012	61.82	370^th	820	54.9%
2013	40.23	590^th	824	28.4%
2014	48.37	523^rd	826	36.7%
2015	62.78	353^rd	840	58.0%
2016	72.08	230^th	848	72.9%
2017	50.18	510^th	853	40.2%
2018	47.21	527^th	847	37.8%
2019	57.34	444^th	870	49.0%
2021	69.72	259^th	869	70.2%
2022	67.90	282^nd	858	67.1%
2023	63.14	324^th	845	61.7%
2024	63.60	329^th	881	62.7%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pillager Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	36.71	306^th	463	33.9%
2019	30.58	383^rd	515	25.6%
2021	61.98	129^th	417	69.1%
2022	42.10	309^th	500	38.2%
2023	42.61	306^th	524	41.6%
2024	39.64	357^th	572	37.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pillager Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	60.00	293^rd	728	59.8%
2019	61.49	276^th	740	62.7%
2021	92.51	16^th	683	97.7%
2022	74.51	112^th	663	83.1%
2023	68.11	211^th	774	72.7%
2024	68.83	213^th	793	73.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pillager Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	43.24	525^th	774	32.2%
2019	67.89	254^th	787	67.7%
2021	65.85	278^th	783	64.5%
2022	68.57	252^nd	799	68.5%
2023	71.13	217^th	787	72.4%
2024	73.68	187^th	809	76.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pillager Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	50.12	460^th	779	40.9%
2019	46.53	498^th	798	37.6%
2021	69.39	223^rd	784	71.6%
2022	62.71	310^th	808	61.6%
2023	50.57	435^th	799	45.6%
2024	48.18	479^th	826	42.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Pillager Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	24.12	621^st	712	12.8%
2019	29.53	591^st	722	18.1%
2021	50.38	342^nd	710	51.8%
2022	44.79	436^th	725	39.9%
2023	37.91	479^th	712	32.7%
2024	40.34	476^th	730	34.8%

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

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Enrollment information for Pillager Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	278	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	278
1989	291	0	2	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	295
1990	293	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	296
1991	286	1	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	291
1992	299	2	4	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	307
1993	305	1	6	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	314
1994	308	3	3	1	5	n/a	n/a	0	320
1995	356	0	2	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	363
1996	356	0	2	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	363
1997	370	0	2	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	378
1998	362	0	2	0	5	n/a	n/a	9	378
1999	378	1	1	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	385
2000	379	1	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	384
2001	384	1	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	389
2002	382	2	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	386
2003	382	2	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	386
2004	359	2	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	363
2005	346	3	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	352
2006	363	2	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
2007	366	5	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	377
2008	383	4	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	394
2009	406	3	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	414
2010	423	3	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	432
2011	455	3	0	4	3	0	4	0	469
2012	458	2	2	2	2	0	3	0	469
2013	488	2	2	4	1	0	4	0	501
2014	543	2	0	4	0	0	5	0	554
2015	486	1	0	7	3	0	4	0	501
2016	425	0	0	9	3	0	5	0	442
2017	427	4	0	12	1	0	6	0	450
2018	447	5	0	9	0	0	11	0	472
2019	456	3	0	8	1	0	10	0	478
2020	438	5	0	11	0	0	9	0	463
2021	421	4	0	7	0	0	7	0	439
2022	471	1	0	3	1	0	11	0	487
2023	446	0	0	9	1	0	22	0	478

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 Pillager Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	278	15.8	17.5	29.5
1989	295	21.2	13.9	27.8
1990	296	20.0	14.8	32.1
1991	291	20.7	14.0	33.3
1992	307	21.8	14.0	34.2
1993	314	21.5	14.6	35.7
1994	320	23.0	13.9	40.6
1995	363	25.7	14.1	33.9
1996	363	25.7	14.1	33.9
1997	378	26.3	14.4	36.5
1998	378	n/a	0.0	27.9
1999	385	25.1	15.3	31.2
2000	384	27.8	13.8	52.6
2001	389	26.1	14.9	51.2
2002	386	26.3	14.7	49.7
2003	386	26.3	14.7	49.7
2004	363	26.4	13.8	51.2
2005	352	25.7	13.7	50.9
2006	368	25.6	14.4	47.8
2007	377	21.3	17.7	56.5
2008	394	24.3	16.2	55.6
2009	414	30.0	13.8	51.7
2010	432	28.2	15.2	55.3
2011	469	30.6	15.3	57.6
2012	469	33.9	13.8	54.4
2013	501	33.5	14.9	54.1
2014	554	38.5	14.3	51.3
2015	501	39.0	12.8	51.1
2016	442	32.0	13.8	44.1
2017	450	31.2	14.4	46.2
2018	472	33.4	14.1	45.6
2019	478	31.2	15.3	45.8
2020	463	30.2	15.2	41.7
2021	439	31.3	14.0	44.9
2022	487	36.5	13.3	42.9
2023	478	40.0	11.9	51.5

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 Pillager Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	278	15.8	17.5	29.5
1989	295	21.2	13.9	27.8
1990	296	20.0	14.8	32.1
1991	291	20.7	14.0	33.3
1992	307	21.8	14.0	34.2
1993	314	21.5	14.6	35.7
1994	320	23.0	13.9	40.6
1995	363	25.7	14.1	33.9
1996	363	25.7	14.1	33.9
1997	378	26.3	14.4	36.5
1998	378	n/a	0.0	27.9
1999	385	25.1	15.3	31.2
2000	384	27.8	13.8	52.6
2001	389	26.1	14.9	51.2
2002	386	26.3	14.7	49.7
2003	386	26.3	14.7	49.7
2004	363	26.4	13.8	51.2
2005	352	25.7	13.7	50.9
2006	368	25.6	14.4	47.8
2007	377	21.3	17.7	56.5
2008	394	24.3	16.2	55.6
2009	414	30.0	13.8	51.7
2010	432	28.2	15.2	55.3
2011	469	30.6	15.3	57.6
2012	469	33.9	13.8	54.4
2013	501	33.5	14.9	54.1
2014	554	38.5	14.3	51.3
2015	501	39.0	12.8	51.1
2016	442	32.0	13.8	44.1
2017	450	31.2	14.4	46.2
2018	472	33.4	14.1	45.6
2019	478	31.2	15.3	45.8
2020	463	30.2	15.2	41.7
2021	439	31.3	14.0	44.9
2022	487	36.5	13.3	42.9
2023	478	40.0	11.9	51.5

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 Pillager Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,169

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pillager 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 444^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 324^th of 845 Elementary schools	12.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Pillager Elementary)	64.3	62.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Pillager Public School District)	64.3	62.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Pillager Elementary)	54.8	42.9	11.9%
3rd Grade Reading (Pillager Public School District)	54.8	42.9	11.9%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Pillager Elementary)	65.1	69	3.8%
4th Grade Math (Pillager Public School District)	65.1	69	3.8%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Pillager Elementary)	58.1	55.2	3%
4th Grade Reading (Pillager Public School District)	58.1	55.2	3%
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	478	478
African American	3	0	100%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	8	9	12.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	456	446	2.2%
Two or More Races	10	22	120%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.8%	51.5%	5.6%

Schools Near Pillager 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 All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
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	478	40	11.9	51.5%	446 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.6%)	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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Staples-Motley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1025 4th St NE	Staples	56479	Wadena County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 894-5400	301	24	12.3	60.5%	266 (88.4%)	2 (0.7%)	13 (4.3%)	3 (1.0%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	42.8	559^th of 881 public elementary schools	36.5%		34.1	607^th of 845 public elementary schools	28.2%	48	63.3	45.1		55.0	33.9	39.2		36.4			$12,285
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
Knight Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	504 E Minnesota Ave	Randall	56475	Morrison County	Little Falls Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 616-5200	110	13	8.2	58.2%	102 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.5%)	46.6	535^th of 881 public elementary schools	39.3%		50.1	485^th of 845 public elementary schools	42.6%	50	42.9	53.3	55.6	50.0	38.1	40.0	55.6	44.4	38.9	38.9	$15,321

Pillager Elementary

Pillager Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Pillager Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Pillager Elementary

Rank History for all students at Pillager Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Pillager Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pillager Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Pillager Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Pillager Elementary

Rank History for White students at Pillager Elementary

Enrollment information for Pillager Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pillager Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Pillager Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pillager Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Pillager Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Pillager Elementary