The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sun Program
The SUN Program is a special education school serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Little Falls, Minnesota. It is operated by the Mid-State Education District, a cooperative that provides specialized services to several member districts in the area. This is not a neighborhood school that families choose based on attendance boundaries; it is a dedicated program for students with significant special education needs, and enrollment is determined by a student's individualized education program (IEP) team.
The school is very small, with an enrollment that reflects its specialized purpose. The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of students who are American Indian or Hispanic. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, and the grade-level distribution shows a handful of students at each level, which is typical for a program of this nature.
State testing data is available for the school, but the results are essentially zero percent proficient in math and English language arts for the most recent year. In science, the result was suppressed due to a very small number of test-takers. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Morrison County. This is not unexpected for a special education school serving students with significant disabilities, where the standard state assessment is not designed to measure the kind of progress these students are making. A parent considering this program should understand that the school's mission is not to produce high scores on standardized tests but to provide specialized instruction and support for students with complex needs. The graduation rate is not reported, which is common for a program of this type where students may remain enrolled through age twenty-one or transition to other settings.
The SUN Program is part of the Mid-State Education District, a cooperative that provides special education and other shared services to several member districts in central Minnesota. The district brief notes that no major parent-relevant changes were identified in recent years, though a new Setting IV facility opened outside the four-year window. The program is located in Little Falls, a small city that serves as the county seat of Morrison County. Little Falls sits on both sides of the Mississippi River and has a historic downtown, a mix of residential and industrial areas, and a modest population that has grown slowly in recent decades. Major employers include Camp Ripley, a National Guard training facility just north of town, along with manufacturing and government. The housing market in the area shows home values below the state average but above the national average, with modest year-over-year appreciation.
For a family whose child has significant special education needs, the SUN Program represents a specialized placement that is fundamentally different from a typical school. The state testing results are not a meaningful measure of the program's quality, and the school's small size and specialized mission mean that typical metrics like graduation rates and chronic absenteeism are not reported. A parent should expect to work closely with their home district and the Mid-State Education District to understand whether this program is the right fit for their child's specific needs. The program's location in Little Falls means it draws from a broad geographic area across central Minnesota, and families should consider the commute from their home district.
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