Best Public Schools in Zip Code 56401

Summary:

The 56401 zip code area of Brainerd, Minnesota is home to 9 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The data reveals a diverse educational landscape, with standout high-performing schools like Brainerd Senior High and Lowell Elementary, as well as alternative schools struggling to meet the needs of their at-risk student populations.

Lowell Elementary stands out as the top-performing school, ranked 62 out of 881 Minnesota elementary schools and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school consistently outperforms the Brainerd Public School District and state averages in both Math and Reading proficiency. In contrast, the Independent School District (ISD) 181 Learning Center, an alternative high school, struggles academically with only 5.26% of students proficient in Math and 34.78% in Reading.

The data also reveals significant disparities in student demographics and socioeconomic status across the schools. Schools with higher percentages of minority students and higher free/reduced lunch rates, such as Garfield Elementary and Harrison Elementary, tend to have lower academic performance. This underscores the importance of addressing socioeconomic factors and providing additional resources and support to schools serving economically disadvantaged communities within the Brainerd Public School District.

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 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science End of Course	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
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
Brainerd Senior High	Public	9-12	702 S 5th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6200	1,842	86	21.3	35.3%	1,663 (90.3%)	16 (0.9%)	50 (2.7%)	14 (0.8%)	22 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (4.2%)	73.4	116^th of 480 public high schools	75.8%		86.2	47^th of 476 public high schools	90.1%	69					40.6	40.6					60.3	60.3		44.9	44.9	$11,859
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
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
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
Lincoln Education Center	Public, Alternative	2-12	400 Quince St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6600	91	15	6.1	76.9%	70 (76.9%)	2 (2.2%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (13.2%)								(n/a)						0.0						4.2			0.0	$31,175
Independent School District (Isd) 181 Learning Center	Public	8-12	311 10th Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-5400	157	11	14.0	65.0%	127 (80.9%)	3 (1.9%)	5 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (8.3%)	25.3	370^th of 480 public high schools	22.9%		14.7	406^th of 476 public high schools	14.7%	36					5.3	5.3					34.8	34.8		50.0	50.0	$13,935
Middle Level Alternative Program	Public	5-8	311 10th Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-5400	15	2	7.4	80.0%	14 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				27.3		17.7				30.0		23.5				$2,142
Brainerd Online School	Public, Virtual	9-12	702 S 5th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(218) 454-6273	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Cities Near Zip Code 56401

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Brainerd	2.12 mi	10	318^th
Baxter	6.23 mi	3	80^th
Crosby	12.63 mi	2	89^th
Nisswa	14.16 mi	1	91^st
Pillager	15.73 mi	4	142^nd

See the top MN Minnesota cities

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.