The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 41% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lafayette Public Charter School
Lafayette Public Charter School was a small charter school in the tiny farming community of Lafayette, Minnesota, that served students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It is no longer open. The school notified the Minnesota attorney general of its intent to dissolve and finalized a closure plan in 2022, after operating for over a decade. That closure eliminated the only local public school option for families in this part of Nicollet County. Children now attend neighboring districts, such as New Ulm Independent School District or GFW School District.
Lafayette itself is a very small farming community located just outside the larger town of New Ulm. It has a compact Main Avenue business district with a few local establishments, a community center, and a memorial park. The town is part of the Mankato-North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area, but it retains a distinctly rural, agricultural character. Minnesota State Highway 15 runs through it. The population has been declining slightly in recent years, while median household incomes have been rising. Housing values in the area sit below the state median but have been climbing at a faster pace than the national average. Most residents likely commute to nearby New Ulm or Mankato for larger employment opportunities.
During its final year of operation, 2021-2022, Lafayette Public Charter School took part in Minnesota’s state assessments. Participation rates for the spring testing were low, and many grade-level results were suppressed for privacy due to the small number of students tested. Among the scores that were reported, fourth graders showed proficiency in math at a rate close to the middle of the range, while seventh graders posted a lower rate. In reading, fourth grade results again fell near the midpoint, as did seventh grade. Science results for fifth and eighth grades were suppressed. With such a small student body and low participation, these numbers offer only a limited view of the school’s academic profile. The school was a charter, and its grade band meant it did not produce a high school graduation rate; families who wanted a high school program would have needed to look elsewhere even before the closure.
Because the school served pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, typical measures of college and career readiness, such as Advanced Placement or dual-credit offerings, did not apply. No information was available about the school’s staffing, discipline rates, or course access from the available data.
The closure leaves Lafayette without a school building of its own. The town’s website notes that, while the boundaries of Lafayette place it in the New Ulm school district, many local students also attend GFW schools. Parents considering a move to this area today should be aware that there is no operating charter or public school within the town itself. The surrounding school districts are the options, and each has its own programs, transportation arrangements, and enrollment policies. The community is small, quiet, and oriented around agriculture and Highway 15, with housing that costs less than the state median but has been rising quickly. For families who value a rural setting and are comfortable with a drive to a neighboring district for school, Lafayette may still fit. But the school that gave this town its name is gone.
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