The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Greenbush Elementary
Greenbush Elementary is a regular public school serving students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the small, fully rural community of Greenbush, in northwest Minnesota’s Roseau County. The school is part of the Greenbush Middle River Schools district, and the town itself is a quiet, car-dependent place anchored by employers like Central Boiler, the Greenbush Nursing Home, and the school district itself. Manufacturing is the largest employment sector locally, followed by health care and agriculture, and the community has experienced steady population decline over the long term. Housing costs remain well below state averages, and a substantial share of the elementary school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that roughly half the student body comes from lower-income households.
The school is predominantly white in its composition, with small numbers of students who are American Indian, Asian, Black, or of two or more races, according to available demographic data. The grade span runs from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, so state testing results apply only to the grades that are assessed — third through sixth for math and English language arts, and fifth grade for science. On the most recent state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates varied considerably by grade and subject. In math, the share of students meeting standards was low in third grade and again very low in fifth grade, while fourth and sixth graders posted notably higher rates. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: very few third graders were proficient, the fourth- and fifth-grade rates were modest, and sixth graders had a stronger showing, with more than half meeting the standard. Science results for fifth graders were very low.
Because this is a single year of data, it is not possible to say whether these uneven results represent a trend, an anomalous year, or the effect of small grade-level groups where a few students can shift percentages dramatically. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how instruction and support are differentiated across grades and how the school addresses the areas where proficiency is weakest.
When placed alongside other districts in Roseau County, Greenbush Elementary’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile of the four-district comparison set. The graduation rate is not applicable here because the school does not serve high school grades, and chronic absenteeism data was not reported.
No information was available on course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or special education and English learner enrollment. The district brief turned up little about recent changes or priorities at the district level, so those topics are left unaddressed.
For a family considering Greenbush, the school offers a small, rural elementary setting in a community with low housing costs and a quiet pace of life. The academic picture is mixed, with some grades showing solid proficiency in reading and math and others falling well short, and the school’s position among county peers is at the lower end. A parent would want to learn more about how the school supports students in the grades where performance is weakest and what academic expectations look like as students move through the elementary years toward middle school.
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