Cuyuna Range Elementary, Crosby MN

Original Research by School Decision on Cuyuna Range Elementary

Cuyuna Range Elementary is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in Crosby, a small former mining town in central Minnesota’s Crow Wing County. It is part of the Crosby-Ironton Public School District, which also serves the adjacent town of Ironton. The school sits in a community that has reinvented itself around outdoor recreation—mountain biking, SCUBA diving in flooded iron mine pits—and an antiques district that draws visitors, but the town itself retains a quiet, low-density residential character.

Academically, Cuyuna Range Elementary’s state test results from the most recent school year show a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates ranged across the tested grades from a share of students meeting standards in the lower elementary grades to a somewhat larger share in the upper grades, but not a majority in any grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: around half of fifth graders reached proficiency, while the share was smaller in third and fourth grades. Science is tested only in fifth grade, and the share of students scoring proficient was notably low. When combined across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it below the midpoint among districts in Crow Wing County. Only a single year of data is available for trend comparison, so it is not possible to see whether performance is improving or declining here. Parents may want to ask the school about its academic improvement strategies.

The student body is predominantly white, reflecting the community’s demographics. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a notable portion of families face economic constraints. Enrollment runs from prekindergarten through sixth grade, with a modest count of students at each grade level. Information on students with disabilities or English learners was not provided in the available data, so it is unclear what specialized supports are present. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available.

The housing market in the immediate area around Crosby shows home values below the statewide benchmark, which is consistent with the region’s modest economic base. The town saw very slow population growth in recent years, and the local economy has shifted from mining to tourism and recreation. For a family moving to the area, housing is likely more affordable than many parts of Minnesota, but the local job market may be limited.

Recent district-level changes are worth noting for current and prospective families. Voters approved an operating referendum that generates additional revenue for the district, which school leaders have said will help maintain class sizes and programs. The district also expanded its preschool programming, adding a full-day option at Cuyuna Range Elementary alongside existing half-day offerings. Additionally, the school board held the property tax levy flat in a recent budget cycle, which may appeal to residents watching their tax bills.

Overall, Cuyuna Range Elementary serves a small-town, recreation-oriented community where a significant share of families face economic challenges. Academic proficiency rates lag behind the county median, particularly in science, which is a soft spot a parent may want to investigate. The district has taken steps to stabilize finances and expand early education, but the school’s test performance and the limited data on student supports are the main considerations for a family weighing enrollment here.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 53%

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

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 14 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 33%

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

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 54%

even with state median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 12%

▼ 12 pts below state median

This schoolCROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST., 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-income23%Higher-income40%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income52%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income69%34 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income56%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income72%45 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income47%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income50%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income48%12 pp gap