The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 23% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Rollingstone Community School
Rollingstone Community School is a very small district in southeastern Minnesota that serves kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a charter school district, meaning it operates as a tuition-free public school with a specific educational mission. The district opened its doors in August 2022, a new school reestablished after the former Rollingstone school, which had been part of the larger Winona Area Public Schools, closed. The school fills a local gap, giving families in the small community of Rollingstone a public school option once again.
As a K-5 charter district, there is no high school, and consequently no graduation rate to report. State testing data is available for the most recent school year, but only for a single grade level per subject due to the district's small size. In third grade math, about two-fifths of students scored at a proficient level. In third grade reading, the proficiency rate was lower. Results for fourth and fifth grade in both math and reading, and for fifth grade science, were suppressed because the number of students tested was very small; the state does not report results when the group is too small to protect student privacy. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places Rollingstone in the bottom quartile among Winona County's seven districts. The chronic absenteeism rate, reported at a rate that is relatively high, also falls in the bottom quartile compared to county peers. Because the district is new and the test-taking group is tiny, these results represent a very narrow slice of performance. A parent considering the school will want to look into how the school is tracking progress as it grows and what supports are in place for early literacy.
Enrollment is small, with students spread across kindergarten through fifth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of students identified as two or more races and a very small share identified as Hispanic. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available, so the share of students with economic or specialized learning needs is unknown.
The district is a single school, which operates with a STEAM-infused, place-based, teacher-powered model. STEAM is a variation of STEM that includes an arts component, and "place-based" means the curriculum draws on the local community and environment. "Teacher-powered" indicates that the educators share significant responsibility for running the school. This is a distinct pedagogical approach that may appeal to families looking for a hands-on, locally connected elementary experience. Because the district only goes through fifth grade, families will need to plan for middle and high school; Rollingstone sits in Winona County, and the surrounding area includes larger districts such as Winona Area Public Schools.
Housing and community context data for Rollingstone was not available in this profile. The school itself is located in the village of Rollingstone, a small community in the bluff country of southeastern Minnesota. The district's per-pupil spending is in the upper range among Winona County's districts, which reflects the higher per-student costs typical of a very small, stand-alone school that must maintain its own facilities and administration with a tiny enrollment base.
For a family, the key considerations are straightforward. This is a very small, new charter elementary school with a specific STEAM and place-based educational philosophy. The academic data is limited and mixed, and the small numbers make broader performance comparisons difficult. The school offers a local public option for a family seeking an alternative to a larger district, but the path beyond fifth grade will require a transition to a different school system.
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