Is River Falls Public Montessori Academy a good school?

River Falls Public Montessori Academy ranks 507 th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend River Falls Public Montessori Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 190 students attended River Falls Public Montessori Academy.

What is the racial makeup of River Falls Public Montessori Academy?

Students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy are 86% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American.

River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Summary:

River Falls Public Montessori Academy is a public charter school serving grades PK-6 in the River Falls School District, with an enrollment of 190 students.

While the school offers a unique Montessori-based curriculum, it has struggled academically compared to nearby elementary schools. In 2023-2024, only 56.25% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, and just 28.13% were proficient in Mathematics, lagging behind the River Falls School District and the state of Wisconsin. However, the school performs better in Social Studies and Science. Equity is also a concern, as there are significant performance gaps between different student groups, such as gender and socioeconomic status.

Additionally, River Falls Public Montessori Academy has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.3% to 23.0% in recent years, which is higher than the nearby Greenwood Elementary (12.2%) and Rocky Branch Elementary (5.8%). Despite having a similar or higher per-student spending level compared to these nearby schools, River Falls Public Montessori Academy generally performs worse academically, suggesting the need to re-evaluate its educational approach and strategies to better support its students.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-6

421 W Maple St
River Falls, WI 54022

(715) 425-7645

District: River Falls School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
507^th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,316

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 190

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.8%

Two or more races:

9.5%

Hispanic:

3.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.2%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare River Falls Public Montessori Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details River Falls Public Montessori Academy ranks better than 52.2% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the River Falls School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.58. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details River Falls Public Montessori Academy has the smallest elementary school student body size in the River Falls School District. Racial makeup is: White (85.8%), two or more races (9.5%), Hispanic (3.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 23.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at River Falls Public Montessori Academy is 17.4, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the River Falls School District! (See more...)

Compare River Falls Public Montessori Academy employs 10.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at River Falls Public Montessori Academy is $10,316, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the River Falls School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

River Falls Public Montessori Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks River Falls Public Montessori Academy 507^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See River Falls Public Montessori Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

River Falls School District:

SchoolDigger ranks River Falls School District 80^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for River Falls Public Montessori Academy.

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Rank History for River Falls Public Montessori Academy

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Rank History for all students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2005	43.33	435^th	632	31.2%
2006	57.94	388^th	712	45.5%
2007	56.69	384^th	689	44.3%
2008	91.40	1^st	1021	99.9%
2009	87.20	12^th	1030	98.8%
2010	89.70	5^th	1045	99.5%
2011	82.26	59^th	1046	94.4%
2012	69.37	296^th	1045	71.7%
2013	78.34	141^st	1053	86.6%
2014	55.70	521^st	1061	50.9%
2015	54.73	564^th	1076	47.6%
2016	46.86	637^th	1075	40.7%
2017	60.75	430^th	1071	59.9%
2018	64.72	354^th	1025	65.5%
2019	56.96	474^th	1037	54.3%
2021	56.16	496^th	1050	52.8%
2022	44.63	666^th	1067	37.6%
2023	43.64	674^th	1067	36.8%
2024	58.58	507^th	1061	52.2%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	53.81	358^th	854	58.1%
2019	49.32	435^th	874	50.2%
2021	75.37	117^th	847	86.2%
2022	36.52	593^rd	859	31.0%
2023	59.73	301^st	871	65.4%
2024	46.81	492^nd	866	43.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	49.98	572^nd	997	42.6%
2019	47.73	593^rd	1002	40.8%
2021	38.20	676^th	1004	32.7%
2022	33.37	741^st	1017	27.1%
2023	31.53	764^th	1010	24.4%
2024	46.01	646^th	1011	36.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	73.05	219^th	997	78.0%
2019	58.35	427^th	1002	57.4%
2021	60.25	407^th	1003	59.4%
2022	45.96	624^th	1017	38.6%
2023	46.82	610^th	1011	39.7%
2024	70.37	292^nd	1012	71.1%

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

Rank History for White students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	41.66	434^th	699	37.9%
2023	48.58	402^nd	715	43.8%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 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: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Montessori embraces an educational approach that focuses on exploiting the child's curiosity, and helping the individual excel in their strengths. This includes broadening the student's other talents to keep them on target with age-specific skills. The teachers, students, parents and community are among the most creative and intelligent. The River Falls Public Montessori school in particular, is a very closely knit community. Close Quote

Enrollment information for River Falls Public Montessori Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	35	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	37
2003	35	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	37
2004	39	1	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	46
2005	45	2	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	50
2006	57	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	61
2007	65	1	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	68
2008	57	1	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	60
2009	64	2	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	67
2010	76	2	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	81
2011	90	2	4	1	1	0	1	99
2012	99	3	0	1	1	0	1	105
2013	110	2	1	1	2	0	1	117
2014	124	2	2	1	2	0	1	132
2015	133	2	5	2	2	0	2	146
2016	152	3	5	3	2	0	2	167
2017	147	2	4	6	0	0	6	165
2018	148	0	1	6	0	0	8	163
2019	172	1	1	6	0	0	9	189
2020	159	1	1	3	0	0	7	171
2021	142	3	2	3	0	0	9	159
2022	153	2	2	5	0	0	14	176
2023	163	2	1	6	0	0	18	190

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 River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	37	2.0	18.5	18.9
2003	37	2.0	18.5	18.9
2004	46	3.5	13.1	15.2
2005	50	3.7	13.5	n/a
2006	61	4.4	13.9	n/a
2007	68	4.3	15.8	5.9
2008	60	4.1	14.6	16.7
2009	67	4.0	16.8	14.9
2010	81	4.5	18.0	13.6
2011	99	5.0	19.8	21.2
2012	105	6.0	17.5	23.8
2013	117	7.5	15.4	26.5
2014	132	8.1	16.1	25
2015	146	n/a	n/a	19.2
2016	167	9.0	18.5	19.8
2017	165	9.7	16.9	14.5
2018	163	9.8	16.5	13.5
2019	189	9.3	20.2	21.7
2020	171	9.9	17.2	19.9
2021	159	9.3	17.0	25.2
2022	176	10.9	16.1	22.2
2023	190	10.8	17.4	23.2

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 River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	37	2.0	18.5	18.9
2003	37	2.0	18.5	18.9
2004	46	3.5	13.1	15.2
2005	50	3.7	13.5	n/a
2006	61	4.4	13.9	n/a
2007	68	4.3	15.8	5.9
2008	60	4.1	14.6	16.7
2009	67	4.0	16.8	14.9
2010	81	4.5	18.0	13.6
2011	99	5.0	19.8	21.2
2012	105	6.0	17.5	23.8
2013	117	7.5	15.4	26.5
2014	132	8.1	16.1	25
2015	146	n/a	n/a	19.2
2016	167	9.0	18.5	19.8
2017	165	9.7	16.9	14.5
2018	163	9.8	16.5	13.5
2019	189	9.3	20.2	21.7
2020	171	9.9	17.2	19.9
2021	159	9.3	17.0	25.2
2022	176	10.9	16.1	22.2
2023	190	10.8	17.4	23.2

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 River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$159 (1.7%)	$8,996 (98.3%)	$9,154
2020	$110 (1.1%)	$9,950 (98.9%)	$10,061
2021	$369 (3.6%)	$9,948 (96.4%)	$10,316

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on River Falls Public Montessori Academy

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 474^th of 1037 Elementary schools	Ranks 674^th of 1067 Elementary schools	17.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	36.4	20.7	15.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (River Falls School District)	49.6	53.2	3.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	39.5	37.9	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	39.4	13.8	25.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (River Falls School District)	61.7	58.1	3.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	50.5	48.8	1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	57.1	48.4	8.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (River Falls School District)	46.8	53.4	6.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	43.9	45.8	1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	33.3	31.3	2.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (River Falls School District)	58.2	60.1	1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	46.2	46.5	0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	66.7	53.1	13.5%
4th Grade Social Studies (River Falls School District)	58.7	65.1	6.5%
4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	53.4	59.7	6.4%
4th Grade Science (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	76.2	59.4	16.8%
4th Grade Science (River Falls School District)	59.5	61.3	1.8%
4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	53.9	52.1	1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	51.9	38.5	13.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (River Falls School District)	48.4	53.5	5.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	40.9	39.2	1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	44.4	38.5	6%
5th Grade Mathematics (River Falls School District)	62.3	68.5	6.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	47.8	48.4	0.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	75	66.7	8.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (River Falls School District)	52.3	58	5.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	41.7	40.6	1.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (River Falls Public Montessori Academy)	41.7	53.3	11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (River Falls School District)	44.5	57	12.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	43.5	42.6	0.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	189	190	0.5%
African American	1	2	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	6	6
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	172	163	5.2%
Two or More Races	9	18	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.7%	23.2%	1.5%

Schools Near River Falls Public Montessori Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)			Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)			Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
River Falls Public Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	421 W Maple St	River Falls	54022	Pierce County	River Falls School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(715) 425-7645	190	11	17.4	23.2%	163 (85.8%)	2 (1.1%)	6 (3.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.5%)	58.6	507^th of 1061 public elementary schools	52.2%		43.6	674^th of 1067 public elementary schools	36.8%	167	56.3	84.6	58.6	28.1	53.9	37.9	84.6	73.1	$10,316	$369	$9,948
Westside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1007 W Pine St	River Falls	54022	Pierce County	River Falls School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 425-1815	408	29	14.3	21.8%	361 (88.5%)	6 (1.5%)	23 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.9%)	77.7	195^th of 1061 public elementary schools	81.6%		76.1	211^th of 1067 public elementary schools	80.2%	16	69.6	71.0	57.4	69.6	74.3	67.7	78.6	72.9	$12,118	$587	$11,531
Greenwood Elementary	Public	K-5	982 E Division St	River Falls	54022	Pierce County	River Falls School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 425-1810	392	28	13.9	18.4%	345 (88.0%)	7 (1.8%)	20 (5.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	78.7	180^th of 1061 public elementary schools	83.0%		78.3	187^th of 1067 public elementary schools	82.5%	7	65.6	71.9	57.8	72.1	79.7	63.4	81.3	81.3	$12,259	$658	$11,601
Rocky Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1415 Bartosh Ln	River Falls	54022	Pierce County	River Falls School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 425-1819	428	31	13.7	23.4%	367 (85.7%)	8 (1.9%)	21 (4.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.3%)	68.2	354^th of 1061 public elementary schools	66.6%		76.4	208^th of 1067 public elementary schools	80.5%	146	70.0	66.1	54.6	54.3	64.5	66.7	71.0	64.5	$11,335	$572	$10,763
River Crest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	535 County Road F	Hudson	54016	St. Croix County	Hudson School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 377-3890	373	31	11.9	15.5%	299 (80.2%)	8 (2.1%)	33 (8.8%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.6%)	85.3	84^th of 1061 public elementary schools	92.1%		80.9	149^th of 1067 public elementary schools	86.0%	65	61.7	77.4	75.0	72.3	90.6	82.8	81.1	73.6	$15,241	$377	$14,864
Rock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	340 13th St S	Hudson	54016	St. Croix County	Hudson School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 377-3840	405	31	12.9	20.0%	340 (84.0%)	8 (2.0%)	28 (6.9%)	16 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.2%)	60.8	474^th of 1061 public elementary schools	55.3%		65.9	361^st of 1067 public elementary schools	66.2%	113	44.3	53.3	77.2	50.8	65.3	91.2	65.3	50.7	$13,338	$707	$12,631
Saint Croix Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	202 S Division St	Roberts	54023	St. Croix County	Saint Croix Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 749-3119	665	47	14.2	20.9%	591 (88.9%)	6 (0.9%)	35 (5.3%)	14 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.9%)	74.2	246^th of 1061 public elementary schools	76.8%		71.2	275^th of 1067 public elementary schools	74.2%	29	57.8	74.6		58.7	71.9		78.1	69.3	$12,375	$203	$12,173
Hudson Prairie Elementary	Public	K-5	1400 Carmichael Rd	Hudson	54016	St. Croix County	Hudson School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 377-3860	509	33	15.2	9.2%	454 (89.2%)	5 (1.0%)	21 (4.1%)	8 (1.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	82.9	119^th of 1061 public elementary schools	88.8%		82.7	129^th of 1067 public elementary schools	87.9%	10	65.3	75.5	69.8	72.2	84.7	76.7	80.6	68.4	$12,479	$385	$12,095
Willow River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1118 4th St	Hudson	54016	St. Croix County	Hudson School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 377-3880	314	28	11.3	15.6%	279 (88.9%)	3 (1.0%)	11 (3.5%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	81.1	149^th of 1061 public elementary schools	86.0%		81.1	146^th of 1067 public elementary schools	86.3%	3	61.7	82.5	73.7	58.3	77.5	80.7	87.5	80.0	$16,701	$774	$15,927
Malone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	505 Campbell St N	Prescott	54021	Pierce County	Prescott School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 262-5463	460	40	11.5	20.9%	426 (92.6%)	6 (1.3%)	15 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)	76.2	215^th of 1061 public elementary schools	79.7%		80.6	153^rd of 1067 public elementary schools	85.7%	62	65.8	70.2	76.0	56.6	79.1	81.3	70.2	61.2	$13,812	$273	$13,539

River Falls Public Montessori Academy

River Falls Public Montessori Academy:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

River Falls School District:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Rank History for all students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Rank History for Female students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Rank History for Male students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Rank History for White students at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on River Falls Public Montessori Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near River Falls Public Montessori Academy