Original Research by School Decision on Nesson 2
Nesson Public School District 2 sits in Williams County, in the northwestern part of North Dakota. It is a small, rural district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across two schools: Ray Elementary School and Ray High School. Both are open and operating. The district's enrollment is modest for a PK-through-12 system, with relatively even distribution across most grades and a smaller cohort in the upper high school years.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic presence and a smaller group of students identified as two or more races. A handful of students are American Indian or Alaska Native, and a handful are Black. The district does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, nor does it provide data on students with individualized education programs or English learners, so the picture of economic need and special-population support is incomplete. A parent may want to ask the district directly about these services.
Academically, North Dakota introduced a new assessment system called ND A-PLUS for the 2024-25 school year, with revised proficiency cut scores. Because of those changes, the results are reported as ranges rather than precise figures, and the state flags them as not safely comparable to prior years. What the ranges show is a mixed academic profile. In mathematics, fourth graders stand out as a relative bright spot, with a majority-range proficiency rate. Fifth graders land in a moderate band. Third, sixth, and seventh graders sit lower, and eighth graders fall in between. The pattern suggests some strength in the upper elementary years but softer outcomes in the early primary and middle grades.
Reading and language arts results follow a similar but somewhat weaker pattern. Fourth grade again appears strongest, with roughly half to a substantial majority of students reaching proficiency. Fifth grade is moderate. Sixth and seventh grades dip, and eighth grade stands out as the lowest-performing band in the dataset, with only a small fraction of students in the proficiency range. This is a result a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly if their child is approaching the middle school transition. Science results, available only for fourth and eighth grades, land in moderate ranges for both.
Participation rates are solid across the board, generally near full participation or just below. No graduation rate data was available for the district, which limits the picture of how the high school performs in carrying students through to completion. Course access, staffing, attendance, and discipline data were also not available, so there is little to report on the breadth of programming, class sizes, or school climate from the data provided.
The district underwent a boundary change in 2021, when Williams County School District 8 was disestablished and a portion of its territory was reorganized into Nesson. This means some families who previously lived in the old district's attendance area now send their children to Nesson schools, and the district's tax base shifted accordingly. The reorganization is publicly reported and is the most notable structural change in the district's recent history. No district strategic priorities or program-specific initiatives were available in the data, so those are left out rather than guessed.
On the housing side, the district covers territory associated with several communities, including Williston, Epping, and Tioga, though most of the district's housing weight falls in areas outside those named cities. Home values across the district are below the state benchmark and well below the national figure, which positions the area as relatively affordable compared with much of the country. Values have been appreciating at a healthy clip, outpacing both the state and national growth rates. Rental data is thin, drawn from only one contributing area, and shows essentially flat rent compared with the prior year. The estimated monthly mortgage cost in the district exceeds the estimated rent, which is typical but worth noting for families weighing buying versus renting.
No county-level comparison fact-set was provided, so the district cannot be positioned against its Williams County peers here. The locale brief for the district's communities was not available, so a richer description of town life, commuting patterns, and local economy is absent. What the data does tell a parent is this: Nesson is a small, rural, predominantly white district with two schools, variable state assessment results that lean stronger in the upper elementary grades and weaker in middle school reading, a recent reorganization that expanded its boundaries, and a housing market that remains affordable though rising. Families considering the district should ask about the missing pieces, especially graduation outcomes, special-population services, and what the high school offers in terms of coursework and post-secondary preparation.
See more original research from School Decision →