Nrheg Secondary, New Richland MN

Original Research by School Decision on Nrheg Secondary

NRHEG Secondary is a regular public school serving grades six through twelve in the small rural town of New Richland, Minnesota. It is the only secondary school within the NRHEG School District. The school’s enrollment is on the smaller side for a combined middle and high school, and the student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and a small number of students identifying as two or more races. More than two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a measure that places the school in a moderate poverty context for a rural Minnesota district.

State testing data for the most recent year shows that students in grades six through eight took assessments in math, reading, and science. Across the tested grades, math proficiency was well below the midpoint of what other districts in Waseca County reported, and the school’s overall test performance sits in the bottom quarter of that county comparison set. In reading, proficiency was somewhat higher but still below the county average, with a noticeable decline from sixth to eighth grade. Eighth-grade science scores were particularly low, a result that families may want to explore further with the school to understand the instructional context. Because only one year of testing data was available, it is not possible to say whether these results represent a trend.

The school does not report a graduation rate in the data available, which is a significant gap for a school that serves the full high school span. A parent considering this school would want to ask the district directly about four-year graduation rates and postsecondary outcomes. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, and staffing is also absent from the data, so the portrait of day-to-day student life is incomplete.

New Richland itself is a compact, car-dependent town situated at the crossing of two state highways in south-central Minnesota. The town’s population has been slowly declining, and the local economy rests on manufacturing, health care, and retail trade, with the New Richland Care Center named as a notable employer. Housing values in the area are below the state median, making the community relatively affordable, though the town does not appear to have public transit or a public library. Civic life centers on a small downtown along Broadway, with a golf course and a nearby lake providing recreation. No recent major changes or initiatives were publicly reported for the school district itself.

For families weighing this school against others in the region, the core facts are straightforward. NRHEG Secondary is a modestly sized rural school with a homogeneous student body and a measurable level of economic need. Its academic results, based on the one year of testing available, are below those of other districts in Waseca County, particularly in science. The missing graduation rate and lack of program detail mean that a family would need to rely on direct inquiry to assess college readiness, career pathways, and student support. The town offers a quiet, small‑town setting with limited amenities and a gradual population decline. The school may fit a family seeking a close‑knit rural environment and willing to engage actively with the school to understand academic offerings and outcomes.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

80-84%Cohort of 77 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

649 schools plotted. 88 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 24%

even with state median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 6 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

even with state median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Science

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 2%

▼ 10 pts below state median

This schoolNRHEG SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income49%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income41%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income38%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income19%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income17%Higher-income29%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income39%18 pp gap