Cannon River Stem School, Faribault MN

Original Research by School Decision on Cannon River Stem School

Cannon River STEM School, a K-8 charter school in Faribault, is a small, single-building district that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math. The student body is diverse, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, and the school draws from across the Faribault area. Faribault itself is a midsized, growing city along Interstate 35 about an hour south of the Twin Cities, with a historic downtown, a strong manufacturing base, and major employers like Faribault Foods and Jennie-O Turkey Store. The school sits in a residential area on the northeast side of town.

Academically, the school’s state assessment results show a mixed picture. In reading, proficiency rates hovered near the state average in several elementary grades but dropped noticeably in the middle school years. In math, proficiency rates were well below the state average at every tested grade level, with some grades showing very low rates. Science results were also low. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, when measured against other districts in Rice County, fell below the midpoint of the group. A parent considering the school would want to look into math instruction and middle school academic support more closely.

The school served kindergarten through eighth grade, so there is no high school and no graduation rate to report. The peer environment is relatively small, and the school’s charter status means it operates independently with its own governing board.

This brings us to the most important fact about Cannon River STEM School: it has closed. The school announced in March 2025 that it would close on June 3, 2025, citing financial challenges. The Minnesota Department of Education lists the organization as not active. The school had faced repeated citations for governance failures and contract violations in prior years. As of the 2025-26 school year, Cannon River STEM School is no longer operating. This means a family looking at this narrative is not evaluating a current enrollment option. Instead, a parent in Faribault with a child who would have attended this school now needs to consider the other public schools in the area, including Faribault Public Schools and other charters.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 34 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 26 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 45%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 12 pts below state median

This schoolCANNON RIVER STEM SCHOOL, 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 3Lower-income36%Higher-income36%0 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income42%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income20%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income21%0 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income12%Higher-income0%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income10%15 pp gap