Dakota Ridge School

Summary:

Dakota Ridge School is an alternative public school located in Apple Valley, Minnesota, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 109 students. The school is part of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district, which is ranked 112 out of 448 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dakota Ridge School has a more diverse student population compared to the surrounding schools, with a racial makeup of 45.87% White, 24.77% African American, 10.09% Hispanic, 2.75% Asian, and 14.68% two or more races. However, the school faces challenges in supporting student success and completion, with fluctuating four-year graduation rates ranging from 23.0% to 33.3% and dropout rates varying from 0.0% to 11.7%. Academically, Dakota Ridge School's performance on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-III) is significantly lower than the district and state averages, with only 9.52% of students proficient or better in Math, 13.64% in Reading, and 10.53% in Science.

Compared to nearby alternative schools like Options, 917 Paces, and 917 Sun, Dakota Ridge School serves a more diverse student population and faces greater challenges in terms of academic performance and graduation rates. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Dakota Ridge School, reaching 74.31%, suggests that socioeconomic factors may be playing a significant role in the school's educational outcomes. Addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by this student population could be a key focus for the school and district to improve student success.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

4629 144th St W
Apple Valley, MN 55124-4004

(952) 423-7619

District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan

Per Pupil Expenditures: $47,190

Student/teacher ratio: 3.8

Number of students: 109

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.9%

African American:

24.8%

Two or more races:

14.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dakota Ridge School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.39. (See more...)

Compare Details Dakota Ridge School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.62. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Dakota Ridge School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Dakota Ridge School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (45.9%), African American (24.8%), two or more races (14.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 74.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dakota Ridge School is 3.8. (See more...)

Compare Dakota Ridge School employs 28.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dakota Ridge School is $47,190.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dakota Ridge School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan:

SchoolDigger ranks Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan 100^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Dakota Ridge School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Dakota Ridge School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2007	0.62	398^th	403	1.2%
2023	9.39	492^nd	529	7.0%

See the entire list of Minnesota Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Dakota Ridge School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.94	264^th	298	11.4%

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

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Dakota Ridge School

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Rank History for all high school students at Dakota Ridge School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2006	10.51	399^th	450	11.3%
2010	3.76	524^th	540	3.0%
2019	9.62	427^th	492	13.2%

See the entire list of Minnesota Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Dakota Ridge School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	31.33	160^th	220	27.3%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Dakota Ridge School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.31	410^th	411	0.2%

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

Rank History for high school White students at Dakota Ridge School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	3.50	392^nd	412	4.9%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative 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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, September 24, 2011

all of the teachers there are very rude and abusive they treated me with no respect they only care about there pay checks and that is it if some one gets hurt like for me for instiance i broke my wrist in that screwed up school and all the teachers said is oh well suck it up pussy im trying to get a petition to shut down the school if you want your children abused then send them here if they recomend the school to you turn it down Close Quote

Enrollment information for Dakota Ridge School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1998	64	12	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	77
1999	76	19	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	99
2000	99	22	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	127
2001	103	21	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	131
2002	87	20	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	117
2003	87	20	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	117
2004	65	22	1	2	4	n/a	n/a	94
2005	46	21	3	4	4	n/a	n/a	78
2006	48	22	4	1	8	n/a	n/a	83
2007	43	29	4	7	4	n/a	n/a	87
2008	40	23	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	75
2009	38	26	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	72
2010	34	22	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	64
2011	44	27	1	8	2	0	5	87
2012	32	20	2	6	1	0	5	66
2013	26	25	3	3	2	0	6	65
2014	26	21	1	3	2	1	12	66
2015	22	25	3	5	1	1	14	71
2016	34	25	7	3	3	0	7	79
2017	39	17	3	5	1	0	6	71
2018	49	22	4	10	1	0	8	94
2019	50	25	4	11	1	0	7	98
2020	59	28	3	9	2	0	4	105
2021	59	27	3	10	5	0	9	113
2022	56	26	4	12	4	0	5	107
2023	50	27	3	11	2	0	16	109

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 Dakota Ridge School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	77	n/a	0.0	35.1
1999	99	28.9	3.4	40.4
2000	127	28.8	4.4	48.8
2001	131	24.6	5.3	46.6
2002	117	23.0	5.1	41
2003	117	23.0	5.1	41
2004	94	19.0	4.9	42.6
2005	78	20.3	3.8	50
2006	83	16.2	5.1	50.6
2007	87	18.2	4.8	37.9
2008	75	18.3	4.1	49.3
2009	72	16.4	4.4	51.4
2010	64	16.5	3.8	51.6
2011	87	16.6	5.2	43.7
2012	66	17.7	3.7	48.5
2013	65	15.0	4.3	69.2
2014	66	15.8	4.1	68.2
2015	71	16.0	4.4	71.8
2016	79	13.0	6.0	70.9
2017	71	14.3	4.9	57.7
2018	94	17.5	5.3	55.3
2019	98	18.5	5.2	57.1
2020	105	19.0	5.5	54.3
2021	113	20.0	5.6	42.5
2022	107	20.5	5.2	43.9
2023	109	28.4	3.8	74.3

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 Dakota Ridge School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	77	n/a	0.0	35.1
1999	99	28.9	3.4	40.4
2000	127	28.8	4.4	48.8
2001	131	24.6	5.3	46.6
2002	117	23.0	5.1	41
2003	117	23.0	5.1	41
2004	94	19.0	4.9	42.6
2005	78	20.3	3.8	50
2006	83	16.2	5.1	50.6
2007	87	18.2	4.8	37.9
2008	75	18.3	4.1	49.3
2009	72	16.4	4.4	51.4
2010	64	16.5	3.8	51.6
2011	87	16.6	5.2	43.7
2012	66	17.7	3.7	48.5
2013	65	15.0	4.3	69.2
2014	66	15.8	4.1	68.2
2015	71	16.0	4.4	71.8
2016	79	13.0	6.0	70.9
2017	71	14.3	4.9	57.7
2018	94	17.5	5.3	55.3
2019	98	18.5	5.2	57.1
2020	105	19.0	5.5	54.3
2021	113	20.0	5.6	42.5
2022	107	20.5	5.2	43.9
2023	109	28.4	3.8	74.3

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 Dakota Ridge School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$47,190

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dakota Ridge 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Reading (Dakota Ridge School)	40	0	40%
8th Grade Reading (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan)	63.2	52.4	10.8%
8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.7	44.8	12.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	98	109	11.2%
African American	25	27	8%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	4	3	25%
Hispanic	11	11
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	50	50
Two or More Races	7	16	128.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.1%	74.3%	17.2%

Schools Near Dakota Ridge School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Dakota Ridge School	Public, Alternative	K-12	4629 144th St W	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 423-7619	109	28	3.8	74.3%	50 (45.9%)	27 (24.8%)	11 (10.1%)	3 (2.8%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (14.7%)								(n/a)				10.0			27.3	20.9	35.0	$47,190
917 Tea	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	5800 - 149th Street West	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Intermediate School District 917	No	No	No	No	(952) 707-4075	40	13	3.1	72.5%	19 (47.5%)	7 (17.5%)	6 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (15.0%)								(n/a)								0.0
917 Case	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	14300 Biscayne Ave W	Rosemount	55068	Dakota County	Intermediate School District 917	No	No	No	No	(651) 423-8100	6	4	1.5		3 (50.0%)	1 (16.7%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)								(n/a)
917 Idea	Public, Alternative	K-12	14300 Biscayne Ave W	Rosemount	55068	Dakota County	Intermediate School District 917	No	No	No	No	(651) 423-8100	43	8	5.1	81.4%	13 (30.2%)	8 (18.6%)	14 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (14.0%)								(n/a)				11.1				0.0
917 Sun	Public, Alternative	K-12	14300 Biscayne Ave W	Rosemount	55068	Dakota County	Intermediate School District 917	No	No	No	No	(651) 423-8204	93	35	2.6	66.7%	46 (49.5%)	21 (22.6%)	7 (7.5%)	6 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (14.0%)								(n/a)	8.3	10.0	10.0	8.2	18.2	30.0		16.7	29.4
917 Paces	Public, Alternative	K-12	1300 145th St	Rosemount	55068	Dakota County	Intermediate School District 917	No	No	No	No	(651) 423-8401	36	9	4.0	30.6%	21 (58.3%)	5 (13.9%)	1 (2.8%)	4 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (13.9%)								(n/a)				46.2				33.3
917 Dash	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1300 145th St	Rosemount	55068	Dakota County	Intermediate School District 917	No	No	No	No	(651) 423-8401	21	6	3.5	66.7%	11 (52.4%)	7 (33.3%)	2 (9.5%)	1 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Learners Center	Public, Alternative	4-12	200 Burnsville Pkwy W	Burnsville	55337	Dakota County	Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools	No	No	No	No	(952) 707-6083	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lakeville Shared Time Services	Public, Alternative	K-12	17630 Juniper Path	Lakeville	55044	Dakota County	Lakeville Area Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(952) 232-2013	3	0			3 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	1897 Delaware Ave	Mendota Heights	55118	Dakota County	West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(651) 403-7019	1	0			1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$4,398

Frequently Asked Questions about Dakota Ridge School

How many students attend Dakota Ridge School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 109 students attended Dakota Ridge School.

What district is Dakota Ridge School in?

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan

What is the racial makeup of Dakota Ridge School?

Students at Dakota Ridge School are 46% White, 25% African American, 15% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

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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.