Willmar Area Learning Center

Summary:

Willmar Area Learning Center is a small public high school serving grades 9-12 in Willmar, Minnesota, which is part of the Willmar Public School District. With just 109 students, the school faces significant challenges, including low academic performance, high dropout rates, and an achievement gap for its predominantly Hispanic student population.

Willmar Area Learning Center consistently ranks in the bottom 10-20% of Minnesota high schools, with proficiency rates on state tests that are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all subjects and grade levels. The school has struggled with low graduation rates, ranging from 21.2% to 44.0% over the past 5 years, much lower than the 81.8% graduation rate at the nearby Willmar Senior High. Additionally, Willmar Area Learning Center has high dropout rates, ranging from 10.2% to 29.7%, compared to 6.8% at Willmar Senior High.

When compared to other nearby high schools, such as MACCRAY Secondary, A.C.G.C. Secondary, and New London-Spicer Senior, the performance gap at Willmar Area Learning Center is quite stark. These other schools have significantly higher academic proficiency, graduation rates, and lower dropout rates. The high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch at Willmar Area Learning Center, ranging from 60.42% to 84.4%, suggests that socioeconomic factors may be playing a role in the school's struggles.

Detail:

Public 9-12

512 8th St SW
Willmar, MN 56201-3197

(320) 214-6500

District: Willmar Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
456^th of 480 Minnesota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,392

Student/teacher ratio: 10.0

Number of students: 109

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.1%

White:

24.8%

African American:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.4%

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Compare Willmar Area Learning Center to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Willmar Area Learning Center is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2013 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.04. (See more...)

Compare Details Willmar Area Learning Center ranks worse than 95% of high schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.67. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Willmar Area Learning Center 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (65.1%), White (24.8%), African American (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Willmar Area Learning Center is 10. (See more...)

Compare Willmar Area Learning Center employs 10.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Willmar Area Learning Center is $14,392.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Willmar Area Learning Center was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Willmar Area Learning Center 456^th of 480 Minnesota public high schools. (See Willmar Area Learning Center in the ranking list.)

Willmar Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Willmar Public School District 345^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Willmar Area Learning Center

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2010	0.58	451^st	454	0.7%
2011	1.83	462^nd	478	3.3%
2013	3.04	471^st	488	3.5%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Willmar Area Learning Center

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Rank History for all high school students at Willmar Area Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	7.15	395^th	433	8.8%
2005	6.23	423^rd	452	6.4%
2006	11.49	390^th	450	13.3%
2007	7.24	438^th	463	5.4%
2009	5.67	220^th	234	6.0%
2010	14.51	424^th	540	21.5%
2011	5.49	499^th	545	8.4%
2012	14.11	434^th	539	19.5%
2013	4.22	501^st	534	6.2%
2014	5.79	443^rd	483	8.3%
2015	2.96	495^th	504	1.8%
2016	3.45	474^th	489	3.1%
2017	5.24	453^rd	489	7.4%
2018	7.80	438^th	494	11.3%
2019	4.52	477^th	492	3.0%
2021	4.71	405^th	428	5.4%
2022	5.95	447^th	472	5.3%
2023	12.86	412^th	476	13.4%
2024	5.67	456^th	480	5.0%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Willmar Area Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	12.27	330^th	374	11.8%
2019	5.46	359^th	370	3.0%
2021	8.88	256^th	270	5.2%
2022	9.48	294^th	312	5.8%
2023	22.69	328^th	393	16.5%
2024	8.77	368^th	389	5.4%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at Willmar Area Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	3.10	376^th	395	4.8%
2019	2.95	392^nd	401	2.2%
2021	3.71	329^th	339	2.9%
2022	2.50	386^th	388	0.5%
2023	14.92	354^th	396	10.6%
2024	6.61	381^st	403	5.5%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Willmar Area Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	5.37	374^th	398	6.0%
2019	2.14	403^rd	411	1.9%
2021	3.49	339^th	351	3.4%
2022	8.08	381^st	403	5.5%
2023	13.19	360^th	398	9.5%

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

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Willmar Area Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	12.54	121^st	129	6.2%
2019	6.48	128^th	132	3.0%
2021	12.92	98^th	101	3.0%
2022	13.73	125^th	135	7.4%
2023	20.16	116^th	136	14.7%
2024	11.67	139^th	145	4.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Hispanic 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 Willmar Area Learning Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1994	75	0	0	24	2	n/a	n/a	101
1995	55	0	0	26	1	n/a	n/a	82
1996	55	0	0	26	1	n/a	n/a	82
1997	77	0	2	33	0	n/a	n/a	112
1998	56	0	1	32	1	n/a	n/a	90
1999	46	2	0	28	2	n/a	n/a	78
2000	51	2	0	42	1	n/a	n/a	96
2001	38	5	0	41	0	n/a	n/a	84
2002	47	2	0	52	0	n/a	n/a	101
2003	47	2	0	52	0	n/a	n/a	101
2004	32	2	0	49	1	n/a	n/a	84
2005	36	1	0	40	0	n/a	n/a	77
2006	25	1	0	50	0	n/a	n/a	76
2007	39	3	0	49	0	n/a	n/a	91
2008	31	3	0	43	1	n/a	n/a	78
2009	25	1	0	49	0	n/a	n/a	75
2010	24	2	2	52	0	n/a	n/a	80
2011	27	1	1	60	0	1	1	91
2012	20	6	0	66	0	0	3	95
2013	22	2	0	55	0	0	1	80
2014	22	9	0	65	1	0	0	97
2015	22	5	0	67	2	0	0	96
2016	30	7	0	73	2	0	1	113
2017	36	6	0	71	3	0	1	117
2018	34	7	0	93	1	0	5	140
2019	35	12	0	97	1	0	4	149
2020	41	13	2	71	2	0	6	135
2021	19	2	0	68	2	0	5	96
2022	27	10	1	88	0	0	5	131
2023	27	5	4	71	0	0	2	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 Willmar Area Learning Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	101	8.4	12.0	0
1995	82	8.2	10.0	69.5
1996	82	8.2	10.0	69.5
1997	112	11.2	10.0	0
1998	90	n/a	0.0	37.8
1999	78	11.5	6.8	59
2000	96	10.7	9.0	68.8
2001	84	7.9	10.6	65.5
2002	101	9.0	11.2	63.4
2003	101	9.0	11.2	63.4
2004	84	9.6	8.8	76.2
2005	77	10.8	7.1	63.6
2006	76	10.1	7.5	84.2
2007	91	10.1	9.0	74.7
2008	78	10.2	7.6	69.2
2009	75	7.7	9.7	70.7
2010	80	8.4	9.5	73.8
2011	91	9.0	10.1	71.4
2012	95	9.0	10.5	81.1
2013	80	9.0	8.8	76.3
2014	97	9.0	10.7	87.6
2015	96	8.0	12.0	80.2
2016	113	9.0	12.5	80.5
2017	117	9.9	11.7	80.3
2018	140	9.9	14.0	74.3
2019	149	11.0	13.5	75.2
2020	135	11.6	11.5	72.6
2021	96	11.8	8.1	60.4
2022	131	12.1	10.7	68.7
2023	109	10.8	10.0	84.4

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 Willmar Area Learning Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	101	8.4	12.0	0
1995	82	8.2	10.0	69.5
1996	82	8.2	10.0	69.5
1997	112	11.2	10.0	0
1998	90	n/a	0.0	37.8
1999	78	11.5	6.8	59
2000	96	10.7	9.0	68.8
2001	84	7.9	10.6	65.5
2002	101	9.0	11.2	63.4
2003	101	9.0	11.2	63.4
2004	84	9.6	8.8	76.2
2005	77	10.8	7.1	63.6
2006	76	10.1	7.5	84.2
2007	91	10.1	9.0	74.7
2008	78	10.2	7.6	69.2
2009	75	7.7	9.7	70.7
2010	80	8.4	9.5	73.8
2011	91	9.0	10.1	71.4
2012	95	9.0	10.5	81.1
2013	80	9.0	8.8	76.3
2014	97	9.0	10.7	87.6
2015	96	8.0	12.0	80.2
2016	113	9.0	12.5	80.5
2017	117	9.9	11.7	80.3
2018	140	9.9	14.0	74.3
2019	149	11.0	13.5	75.2
2020	135	11.6	11.5	72.6
2021	96	11.8	8.1	60.4
2022	131	12.1	10.7	68.7
2023	109	10.8	10.0	84.4

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 Willmar Area Learning Center

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$14,392

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Willmar Area Learning Center

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 477^th of 492 High schools	Ranks 412^th of 476 High schools	10.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Reading (Willmar Area Learning Center)	16	22.2	6.2%
10th Grade Reading (Willmar Public School District)	46.9	33.6	13.3%
10th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	60.4	51.7	8.7%
11th Grade Math (Willmar Area Learning Center)	0	12.9	12.9%
11th Grade Math (Willmar Public School District)	30.3	27.1	3.3%
11th Grade Math (Minnesota)	45	36	9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	149	109	26.8%
African American	12	5	58.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	4
Hispanic	97	71	26.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	35	27	22.9%
Two or More Races	4	2	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.2%	84.4%	9.2%

Schools Near Willmar Area Learning Center

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 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science End of Course	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Willmar Area Learning Center	Public	9-12	512 8th St SW	Willmar	56201	Kandiyohi County	Willmar Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 214-6500	109	11	10.0	84.4%	27 (24.8%)	5 (4.6%)	71 (65.1%)	4 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	5.7	456^th of 480 public high schools	5.0%		12.9	412^th of 476 public high schools	13.4%	44				0.0	0.0				8.7	8.7		14.3	14.3	$14,392
DREAM Technical Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	1705 16th Street NE	Willmar	56201	Kandiyohi County	Technical Academies Of Minnesota	Yes	No	No	Yes	(320) 262-5640	95	3	34.4	76.8%	45 (47.4%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (46.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.2%)	14.9	415^th of 480 public high schools	13.5%					(n/a)				0.0	0.0				33.3	21.4			12.5	$18,642
Willmar Senior High	Public	9-12	2701 30th St NE	Willmar	56201	Kandiyohi County	Willmar Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 231-8300	1,224	79	15.5	62.7%	523 (42.7%)	169 (13.8%)	455 (37.2%)	52 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.0%)	36.8	326^th of 480 public high schools	32.1%		36.9	330^th of 476 public high schools	30.7%	4				22.7	22.7				40.8	40.8		28.4	28.4	$13,256
New London-Spicer Senior	Public	9-12	101 4th Ave SW	New London	56273	Kandiyohi County	New London-Spicer School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 354-2252	465	27	17.2	26.5%	427 (91.8%)	2 (0.4%)	31 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	77.1	95^th of 480 public high schools	80.2%		83.3	58^th of 476 public high schools	87.8%	37				47.1	47.1				54.0	54.0		50.4	50.4	$11,902
New London Alternative School	Public	9-12	101 4th Ave SW	New London	56273	Kandiyohi County	New London-Spicer School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 354-2252	18	1	15.7	55.6%	15 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$17,551
Kerkhoven Secondary	Public	7-12	302 N 15th St	Kerkhoven	56252	Swift County	Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg	No	No	No	No	(320) 264-1412	387	22	17.6	42.1%	310 (80.1%)	9 (2.3%)	60 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	43.8	294^th of 480 public high schools	38.8%		32.9	349^th of 476 public high schools	26.7%	55		44.4	35.3	40.5	40.4		36.9	42.1	42.6	40.3	28.6	22.2	25.2	$13,466
KMS Learning Center	Public	7-12	302 N 15th St	Kerkhoven	56252	Swift County	Region 6 and 8-SW/Wc Service Coop	No	No	No	No	(320) 264-1412	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
A.C.G.C. Secondary	Public	7-12	27250 Minnesota Highway 4	Grove City	56243	Meeker County	A.C.G.C. Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 244-4700	379	26	14.5	50.9%	320 (84.4%)	1 (0.3%)	35 (9.2%)	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	77.6	90^th of 480 public high schools	81.3%		52.6	239^th of 476 public high schools	49.8%	149		40.7	39.4	38.8	39.6		26.7	37.9	58.2	40.3	21.2	53.6	36.1	$13,606
MACCRAY Secondary	Public	6-12	711 Wolverine Dr	Clara City	56222	Chippewa County	MACCRAY School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 847-2154	366	26	14.2	48.6%	286 (78.1%)	3 (0.8%)	64 (17.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	7 (1.9%)	40.7	309^th of 480 public high schools	35.6%		41.2	304^th of 476 public high schools	36.1%	5	41.5	39.3	38.5	22.9	36.3	55.4	41.0	51.9	42.9	47.9	25.0	31.6	28.4	$14,451

Frequently Asked Questions about Willmar Area Learning Center

How many students attend Willmar Area Learning Center?

In the 2022-23 school year, 109 students attended Willmar Area Learning Center.

Is Willmar Area Learning Center a good school?

Willmar Area Learning Center ranks in the bottom 5.0% of Minnesota high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Willmar Area Learning Center?

Students at Willmar Area Learning Center are 65% Hispanic, 25% White, 5% African American, 4% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Willmar Area Learning Center in?

Willmar Public School District

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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.