The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Halverson Elementary
Halverson Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Albert Lea, a southern Minnesota city built around a chain of lakes at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90. The school is one of several elementary buildings in the Albert Lea Public School District, which voters approved an operating levy for in 2022 to support class sizes and academic programs. The district also now offers a permanent Secondary Online Academy for families who prefer a remote option for older students, though that program does not affect Halverson's elementary population.
The school's student body draws from across the community. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white, with a large Hispanic enrollment and a smaller Asian population, along with small numbers of Black students and students of two or more races. This is a notably diverse elementary school for a mid-sized southern Minnesota city.
State testing results, available from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments for grades three through five, show a picture that parents will want to examine grade by grade. In third-grade math, roughly half or more of students met proficiency, while in fourth grade that share was about half, and in fifth grade it was lower. In reading, third-grade proficiency was below half, fourth grade was markedly lower, and fifth grade was roughly half. Fifth-grade science proficiency was also modest. The school's overall proficiency index, averaging across tested subjects and grades, lands above the midpoint among Freeborn County districts, placing it in the top quartile. That relative position is worth noting, but the county contains a small number of districts, so the comparison set is narrow.
What the scores do not yet show is a trend: this is the first year of available data under Minnesota's current assessment structure, so there is no prior year to compare against. A parent interested in academic progress will want to watch how these numbers move over time.
The school itself is a regular public elementary, not a charter or magnet. It is located at 707 East 10th Street in Albert Lea, a city whose economy includes health care through Mayo Clinic Health System, along with food processing, manufacturing, and service providers. The downtown area offers cultural anchors such as the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center and the Albert Lea Art Center, while the lakes and more than 40 parks provide outdoor recreation. Housing values in the area are below both state and national benchmarks, reflecting a relatively affordable market. Rents follow a similar pattern, making the community accessible for many family budgets.
Halverson does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and the data did not include information on discipline incidents, chronic absenteeism, gifted programs, or special education and English learner counts. Those are gaps a prospective parent may want to follow up on directly with the school or district office. The school's enrollment is typical for an elementary building serving a full pre-K through fifth grade span, with class sizes that appear manageable on paper.
For a family considering Albert Lea, Halverson Elementary sits in a district that recently renewed its commitment to local school funding and offers a student body that reflects the community's demographic reality. The academic picture is mixed, with stronger relative standing in the county but clear grade-level soft spots that warrant attention. The school would fit a family that values a neighborhood elementary with economic diversity and is comfortable engaging with the school around areas where proficiency is lower, particularly in the intermediate grades.
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