Top Rankings
West Central Area School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Minnesota for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 4 public elementary schools serving 510 students in West Central Area School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public elementary schools in Minnesota.
Public Elementary Schools in West Central Area School District have an average math proficiency score of 54% (versus the Minnesota public elementary school average of 47%), and reading proficiency score of 58% (versus the 51% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 9% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Minnesota public elementary school average of 40% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (MN)
# Schools
5 Schools
1,651 Schools
# Students
750 Students
572,726 Students
# Teachers
68 Teachers
40,417 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
West Central Area School District, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 520 school districts in Minnesota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#91 out of 525 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
46%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
60%
51%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
41%
Graduation Rate
(21-22)≥90%
84%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.16
0.61
% American Indian
n/a
2%
% Asian
n/a
8%
% Hispanic
4%
11%
% Black
1%
12%
% White
92%
60%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
7%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $16,595 in this school district is less than the state median of $17,852. The school district revenue/student has grown by 11% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,272 is less than the state median of $18,577. The school district spending/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$12 MM
$15,547 MM
Spending
$12 MM
$16,179 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,595
$17,852
Spending / Student
$16,272
$18,577
Best West Central Area School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
West Central Area N. Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
411 1st St Se
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
(218) 685-7500
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
(218) 685-7500
Gr: PK-4 | 156 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 10%
Rank: #22.
West Central Area S. Elementary School
(Math: 60-69% | Reading: 50-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
31 N Central
Kensington, MN 56343
(320) 965-7600
Kensington, MN 56343
(320) 965-7600
Gr: PK-4 | 125 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #33.
Wca Middle School
(Math: 44% | Reading: 58%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
301 County Rd 2
Barrett, MN 56311
(320) 528-7400
Barrett, MN 56311
(320) 528-7400
Gr: 5-8 | 229 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 7%
Rank: n/an/a
West Central Area Alp
Alternative School
301 County Road 2
Barrett, MN 56311
(320) 528-7401
Barrett, MN 56311
(320) 528-7401
Gr: 5-12
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