The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Science. The lowest is 49% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Solway Elementary
Solway Elementary serves children from prekindergarten through third grade in the small Beltrami County community of Solway, a bedroom hamlet 13 miles west of Bemidji. The school is part of the Bemidji Public School District, which means families are tied to a larger system even though the building itself sits in a very different setting. Solway itself has a population below 100 and has been shrinking slowly over recent years. It is overwhelmingly residential, with almost no commercial activity or civic infrastructure of its own; most services, including employment, shopping, and public libraries, are in Bemidji. Housing is sparse, with a limited number of units, and the area’s home values fall below the state average.
Because Solway Elementary only goes through third grade, state testing is limited. Minnesota assesses reading and math in third grade, and the school’s most recent results show that roughly half of third graders met proficiency in both subjects. That is a moderate showing. The school has no tested science results for its current grade band; the only science data available is from several years ago and for a grade the school does not serve, so it is not relevant here. Compared with other schools in Beltrami County, Solway Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quarter of the comparison set.
The student body is small. A strong majority of students are white, and a notable share are American Indian. A relatively small number of students identify as Hispanic or of two or more races. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families face economic challenges. Because the school serves only the earliest grades, there is no graduation rate, no chronic absenteeism data, and no high-school-level course offerings to consider.
Several district-level changes in Bemidji Public Schools are likely to affect families sending children to Solway Elementary. Voters approved an operating levy renewal that maintains a steady revenue stream and protects class sizes and staffing from further cuts. The district also implemented a new evidence-based literacy curriculum across all elementary schools, shifting to a structured literacy approach that emphasizes phonics and phonemic awareness; all K-3 teachers received training in these methods. That change directly affects early reading instruction at Solway Elementary. At the same time, the school board approved budget cuts for a recent year, including staffing reductions and adjustments to transportation services, driven by declining enrollment and the end of federal pandemic aid. Additionally, elementary attendance boundaries were redrawn to balance enrollment across buildings, with grandfathering for current students. Families living in Solway should confirm which elementary school their child will attend after third grade, as the boundary changes could affect that transition.
For a parent, Solway Elementary offers a small-scale, early-grades experience in a quiet rural setting, but it is not a standalone K-through-5 school. Children will need to move to another elementary building after third grade, and the district’s recent boundary changes make it wise to check what that future school will be. The school’s academic results are solid for its grade band, and the new literacy curriculum aligns with state requirements. The community itself has limited growth and minimal local amenities, so families will rely on Bemidji for most needs. The school fits a family seeking a very small, neighborhood-style early elementary program within a larger district that has experienced recent financial and enrollment adjustments.
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