Is Watertown-Mayer Elementary School a good school?

Watertown-Mayer Elementary School ranks 151 st of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Watertown-Mayer Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 528 students attended Watertown-Mayer Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Watertown-Mayer Elementary School?

Students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School are 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Watertown-Mayer Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Watertown-Mayer Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Watertown-Mayer Middle High : Watertown Mayer High

Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Summary:

Watertown-Mayer Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 528 students in grades K-4 in Watertown, Minnesota. The school is part of the Watertown-Mayer Public School District, which is ranked 29th out of 463 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watertown-Mayer Elementary consistently outperforms the state and district averages in both math and reading proficiency on the MCA-III assessments. In 2023-2024, the school had 74.37% of students proficient or better in math and 57% in reading, compared to the state averages of 45.47% and 49.85%, respectively. The school's strong performance extends across different student subgroups, including female students (ranked 58th out of 809 Minnesota elementary schools), male students (247th out of 826), White students (253rd out of 730), special education students (155th out of 572), and low socioeconomic status students (83rd out of 793), all with 4-5 star ratings.

Watertown-Mayer Elementary outperforms many nearby schools, such as Winsted Elementary (51.11% math proficiency), Rockford Elementary Arts Magnet (49.12% math proficiency), and Humphrey Elementary (53.33% math proficiency). The school's statewide ranking has also steadily improved, from 436th out of 869 Minnesota elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 151st out of 881 in 2023-2024, indicating a trend of continuous academic growth and improvement.

Detail:

Public K-4

500 Paul Ave
Watertown, MN 55388-8888

(952) 955-0300

District: Watertown-Mayer Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
151^st of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,255

Students who attend Watertown-Mayer Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Watertown-Mayer Middle
High:	Watertown Mayer High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 528

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.9%

Hispanic:

4.0%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.4%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Watertown-Mayer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Watertown-Mayer Elementary School ranks better than 82.9% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.1. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (90.9%), Hispanic (4%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School is 15.7. (See more...)

Compare Watertown-Mayer Elementary School employs 33.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School is $10,255.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Watertown-Mayer Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Watertown-Mayer Elementary School 151^st of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Watertown-Mayer Elementary School 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:

Watertown-Mayer Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Watertown-Mayer Public School District 29^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Watertown-Mayer Elementary School.

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Rank History for Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2009	53.77	233^rd	434	46.3%
2010	68.32	263^rd	803	67.2%
2011	68.48	253^rd	814	68.9%
2012	57.62	432^nd	820	47.3%
2013	62.86	338^th	824	59.0%
2014	70.01	246^th	826	70.2%
2015	71.83	235^th	840	72.0%
2016	76.24	170^th	848	80.0%
2017	70.78	253^rd	853	70.3%
2018	53.97	454^th	847	46.4%
2019	65.09	338^th	870	61.1%
2021	55.22	436^th	869	49.8%
2022	68.60	273^rd	858	68.2%
2023	76.89	181^st	845	78.6%
2024	79.10	151^st	881	82.9%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	25.77	362^nd	463	21.8%
2019	58.83	201^st	515	61.0%
2021	43.51	250^th	417	40.0%
2022	51.17	236^th	500	52.8%
2023	48.75	258^th	524	50.8%
2024	64.18	155^th	572	72.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	52.03	384^th	728	47.3%
2019	76.66	113^th	740	84.7%
2021	74.80	115^th	683	83.2%
2022	80.20	74^th	663	88.8%
2023	81.14	83^rd	774	89.3%
2024	82.03	83^rd	793	89.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	49.49	466^th	774	39.8%
2019	64.37	310^th	787	60.6%
2021	50.93	444^th	783	43.3%
2022	66.70	278^th	799	65.2%
2023	78.85	133^rd	787	83.1%
2024	86.99	58^th	809	92.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	55.63	407^th	779	47.8%
2019	62.76	332^nd	798	58.4%
2021	55.49	388^th	784	50.5%
2022	66.81	273^rd	808	66.2%
2023	71.34	216^th	799	73.0%
2024	67.40	247^th	826	70.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	30.14	570^th	712	19.9%
2019	42.20	475^th	722	34.2%
2021	28.51	586^th	710	17.5%
2022	44.93	435^th	725	40.0%
2023	62.20	252^nd	712	64.6%
2024	61.39	253^rd	730	65.3%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, August 11, 2014

The building itself is very nice and modern. The grounds are sub par. The parking lot is the worst. The have half as many spots as they could have by having these native grasses plated between each row which curves instead of being straight. The grass grows to 3-4 feet tall so guess what.....it makes it hard to see the little kid running in the parking lot. Any function they have, people are parking way out on the road. It makes it so I dread going there to watch my kid's performance.

The administration is very much a 'who you know' thing and locals get the nod. The school had their principal removed several years ago for inappropriate behavior and then they promote a teacher to become the 'dean of students'. Probably not coincidentally the test scores and school rank declined steadily under her leadership.

In an effort to be cutting edge, they implemented I-pads and let the kids take them home. This did wonders for limiting the children's social and communication skills. It also retarded development in writing skills and math since they no longer are given assignments on paper. Oooohhhhhh.....a cost saving measure perhaps? The middle school then has to pick up the slack and do so by piling on the homework but..naturally..they still have the I-pads. It could be so much more than it is sadly. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	569	14	2	6	6	n/a	n/a	597
2009	592	14	9	8	2	n/a	n/a	625
2010	600	13	7	6	3	n/a	n/a	629
2011	598	10	5	13	1	0	6	633
2012	579	7	6	13	4	0	17	626
2013	588	6	7	11	2	0	12	626
2014	547	5	8	12	2	0	14	588
2015	551	5	9	10	1	0	8	584
2016	552	4	9	12	2	0	10	589
2017	561	4	8	12	5	0	14	604
2018	535	4	5	11	6	0	16	577
2019	526	3	3	8	5	0	14	559
2020	523	5	2	11	1	0	17	559
2021	473	6	3	12	0	0	15	509
2022	497	7	0	13	1	0	15	533
2023	480	5	2	21	1	0	19	528

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 Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	597	34.1	17.5	13.4
2009	625	38.3	16.3	18.4
2010	629	37.2	16.8	16.4
2011	633	37.9	16.7	22.9
2012	626	35.4	17.6	26.7
2013	626	35.4	17.6	25.4
2014	588	37.0	15.8	24.7
2015	584	36.0	16.2	25
2016	589	37.0	15.9	22.8
2017	604	34.5	17.4	25.8
2018	577	30.7	18.7	22.9
2019	559	35.8	15.5	21.5
2020	559	36.4	15.3	20
2021	509	34.0	14.9	21.2
2022	533	34.5	15.4	19.5
2023	528	33.5	15.7	36.4

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 Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	597	34.1	17.5	13.4
2009	625	38.3	16.3	18.4
2010	629	37.2	16.8	16.4
2011	633	37.9	16.7	22.9
2012	626	35.4	17.6	26.7
2013	626	35.4	17.6	25.4
2014	588	37.0	15.8	24.7
2015	584	36.0	16.2	25
2016	589	37.0	15.9	22.8
2017	604	34.5	17.4	25.8
2018	577	30.7	18.7	22.9
2019	559	35.8	15.5	21.5
2020	559	36.4	15.3	20
2021	509	34.0	14.9	21.2
2022	533	34.5	15.4	19.5
2023	528	33.5	15.7	36.4

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 Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,255

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Watertown-Mayer Elementary 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 338^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 181^st of 845 Elementary schools	17.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Watertown-Mayer Elementary School)	69.7	69.3	0.4%
3rd Grade Math (Watertown-Mayer Public School District)	69.7	69.3	0.4%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Watertown-Mayer Elementary School)	54.1	51.5	2.6%
3rd Grade Reading (Watertown-Mayer Public School District)	54.1	51.5	2.6%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Watertown-Mayer Elementary School)	76.5	78.5	2%
4th Grade Math (Watertown-Mayer Public School District)	76.5	78.5	2%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Watertown-Mayer Elementary School)	58.8	61.3	2.5%
4th Grade Reading (Watertown-Mayer Public School District)	58.8	61.3	2.5%
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	559	528	5.5%
African American	3	5	66.7%
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	3	2	33.3%
Hispanic	8	21	162.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	526	480	8.7%
Two or More Races	14	19	35.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.5%	36.4%	14.9%

Schools Near Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

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
Watertown-Mayer Elementary School	Public	K-4	500 Paul Ave	Watertown	55388	Carver County	Watertown-Mayer Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 955-0300	528	34	15.7	36.4%	480 (90.9%)	5 (0.9%)	21 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.6%)	79.1	151^st of 881 public elementary schools	82.9%		76.9	181^st of 845 public elementary schools	78.6%	30	71.4	77.2		74.4	53.1	60.8		57.0			$10,255
Delano Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	678 Tiger Dr	Delano	55328	Wright County	Delano Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 972-6200	710	43	16.6	13.0%	650 (91.5%)	4 (0.6%)	21 (3.0%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.9%)								(n/a)	76.3			76.3	68.8			68.8			$11,974
Hilltop Primary School	Public	K-4	5700 Game Farm Rd	Minnetrista	55364	Hennepin County	Westonka Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 491-8500	466	31	14.9	15.2%	407 (87.3%)	10 (2.1%)	12 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.7%)	94.3	13^th of 881 public elementary schools	98.5%		92.1	21^st of 845 public elementary schools	97.5%	8	92.3	84.2		87.7	78.0	70.8		73.9			$12,777
Bayview Elementary	Public	K-5	24 S Walnut St	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 442-0630	562	36	15.7	16.7%	496 (88.3%)	4 (0.7%)	34 (6.0%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.7%)	82.3	121^st of 881 public elementary schools	86.3%		81.1	125^th of 845 public elementary schools	85.2%	4	79.8	77.2	65.2	74.3	65.7	66.3	69.7	67.1	44.9	44.9	$11,341
Southview Elementary	Public	K-5	225 W 4th St	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 442-0620	568	37	15.5	14.4%	486 (85.6%)	13 (2.3%)	28 (4.9%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.0%)	80.2	141^st of 881 public elementary schools	84.0%		75.4	200^th of 845 public elementary schools	76.3%	59	72.6	73.4	58.4	68.4	52.6	66.0	75.3	64.4	55.1	55.1	$11,679
Montrose Elementary School of Innov	Public	PK, KG-5	100 2nd St S	Montrose	55363	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 682-8345	351	25	13.8	48.4%	295 (84.0%)	16 (4.6%)	25 (7.1%)	6 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.0%)	48.3	510^th of 881 public elementary schools	42.1%		39.1	582^nd of 845 public elementary schools	31.1%	72	71.4	41.4	26.3	46.2	55.4	40.4	62.5	52.7	28.1	28.1	$13,186
Shirley Hills Primary School	Public	K-4	2450 Wilshire Blvd	Mound	55364	Hennepin County	Westonka Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(952) 491-8400	439	32	13.5	23.7%	369 (84.1%)	5 (1.1%)	25 (5.7%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (7.3%)	94.3	12^th of 881 public elementary schools	98.6%		90.7	32^nd of 845 public elementary schools	96.2%	20	89.8	79.8		84.9	79.6	75.0		77.3			$13,784
Laketown Elementary	Public	K-5	960 Airport Road	Waconia	55387	Carver County	Waconia Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 442-0690	530	32	16.3	8.7%	476 (89.8%)	8 (1.5%)	21 (4.0%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.6%)	87.4	69^th of 881 public elementary schools	92.2%		89.2	49^th of 845 public elementary schools	94.2%	20	82.9	72.9	82.2	78.9	73.2	55.2	79.5	68.1	65.8	65.8	$11,092
Rockford Elementary Arts Magnet	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-4	7650 County Road 50	Rockford	55373	Wright County	Rockford Public School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(763) 477-5837	585	45	13.1	39.8%	449 (76.8%)	20 (3.4%)	72 (12.3%)	16 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.8%)	49.3	498^th of 881 public elementary schools	43.5%		48.8	496^th of 845 public elementary schools	41.3%	2	58.1	41.3		49.1	50.5	44.3		47.1			$11,524
Humphrey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	803 Elm Ave	Waverly	55390	Wright County	Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 543-4680	278	21	13.2	32.0%	248 (89.2%)	2 (0.7%)	18 (6.5%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	38.2	592^nd of 881 public elementary schools	32.8%		57.4	397^th of 845 public elementary schools	53.0%	195	44.9	60.7		53.3	24.5	39.3		32.4			$11,301

Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Watertown-Mayer Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Watertown-Mayer Public School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Watertown-Mayer Elementary School

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