The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Math. The lowest is 36% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Harrison Elementary
Harrison Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Brainerd, a city that grew up as a railroad town and now combines a downtown core with outward‑spreading residential and commercial development. The school is one of the elementary campuses within the Brainerd Public School District, and its students move on to other district schools after fourth grade. Because it serves only primary grades, there is no graduation rate, and state testing data is available only for the grades that are assessed: third and fourth.
The school’s enrollment is small for a public elementary school. The student body is predominantly White, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced‑price meals, a measure that points to a concentration of lower‑income households in the attendance zone. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in the available source.
On the Minnesota state assessments for the 2024‑25 school year, performance varied by grade and subject. In math, third graders met the proficiency standard at a solid rate, while fourth graders did so at a lower rate. In reading, the pattern was similar but more pronounced: third‑grade proficiency was around the halfway mark, while fourth‑grade reading proficiency was quite low. When the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades is compared with other districts in Crow Wing County, it sits above the midpoint. The noticeable drop between third and fourth grade, particularly in reading, is the kind of trend a parent would want to discuss with the school to understand what supports are in place.
The school building is located at 1515 Oak Street in Brainerd, in a residential area of the city. Brainerd itself is the county seat of Crow Wing County and the principal city of a micropolitan area. Its economy historically relied on the railroad and paper milling; today tourism tied to the Brainerd Lakes Area, county government, and the school district are significant employers. The city has a traditional downtown with shops, dining, and arts venues, and it lies along the Mississippi River with parks and trails. Housing values in the zip code are moderately below the state median and close to the national median, and rents are relatively affordable compared with mortgage costs—a context that may matter for families thinking about moving into the attendance area.
No recent district‑level changes that would clearly affect a family’s experience were found in publicly reported sources. The district operates multiple elementary schools, and Harrison is one of the neighborhood options. For a parent deciding whether this school fits, the main evidence to weigh is the mixed academic picture—solid math in third grade but notably weaker reading in fourth, and a student population with a high share of economic need. Families may want to ask about reading intervention strategies, class sizes, and how the school supports students as they move from primary to intermediate grades.
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