The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Math. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Tracy Elementary
Tracy Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the Tracy Area Public School District, a regular public school located in the small railroad and agricultural city of Tracy in southwestern Minnesota. This is a school for elementary and early middle-level students; because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and because science testing is conducted only at grade five within this band, the data picture comes primarily from math and reading assessments for grades three through six.
On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, Tracy Elementary’s results show a varied pattern by grade and subject. In mathematics, the fourth-grade cohort posted a notably strong proficiency rate, while the third grade was solid as well. The fifth and sixth grades, however, fell below the midpoint, a drop that may reflect the increasing difficulty of the material or a cohort-specific trend. In reading, third and fourth grades performed at a moderate level; fifth grade improved to a stronger showing, while sixth grade again dropped. Science results for fifth grade, the only tested grade in that subject, were lower. When all tested subjects and grades are combined into a single index, the school places in the top quartile of schools relative to other districts in Lyon County. That is a strong relative position for the county, though it is also true that the range among districts is not wide, and the school’s fifth- and sixth-grade numbers in math and reading are soft spots a parent may want to discuss with the school.
The school’s enrollment is about as you would expect for a rural elementary that also houses pre-kindergarten. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Asian population and a smaller share of Hispanic students. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common indicator in this area of the state. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available in the source material, so it is not possible to speak to the school’s special populations or the support structures around them. That is a gap a parent may wish to fill by speaking directly with the school.
Tracy itself is a compact, traditional prairie town. The Canadian Pacific Railway remains a major employer and shapes the town’s identity, reinforced annually by the Boxcar Days celebration. The community has a working retail core, parks, an aquatics center, a library, and a municipal airport. The local housing market is notably affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with home values well below Minnesota’s typical level. The population has seen a modest decline, and no major new housing developments or growth projects were publicly evident. The town describes its schools as being within the community rather than on separated campuses, and the district has been publicly noted for its academic standing.
No recent district-level changes of note were found in public sources. The absence of a district brief with parent-relevant changes suggests a period of relative stability rather than disruption, but it is not possible to say more than that from the available information.
This is a school that fits a family looking for a solid, small-town elementary with affordable housing, a community with visible civic and railroad heritage, and a student body that is more diverse than many in this part of Minnesota. The academic picture is strongest in the earlier elementary grades, and the relative county position is good, though the middle-grade numbers warrant attention. A family considering Tracy Elementary would benefit from asking how the school supports students as they move from fourth to fifth and sixth grade, where the proficiency results trail the earlier grades.
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