The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Floodwood Elementary
Floodwood Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in a small, rural public school that is the sole elementary building for the Floodwood Public School District. The school sits in the village of Floodwood, a bedroom community in Saint Louis County whose working residents mostly commute to Duluth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, or Cloquet for employment. Floodwood’s population has been declining for decades, and the local economy has limited job opportunities beyond peat harvesting and some dairy farming; the median household income and poverty rate reflect the character of a small, economically modest town. Housing values in the immediate area are well below the state median, which may appeal to families seeking a lower-cost entry point into homeownership.
The school itself is small, with an enrollment that makes it one of the smaller elementary schools in the county. Its student body is predominantly white, with a small share of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that places the school in a context where economic need is present. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served and what support structures exist.
Minnesota state assessment results for the 2024-25 school year provide the only recent snapshot of academic performance. In reading, the share of students scoring proficient varied by grade: third and sixth graders both had a modest majority meeting the standard, while fourth graders reached a lower level and fifth graders scored somewhere in between. In math, the pattern was more uneven, with one grade at about half proficient and another grade notably lower. Science results were available only for fifth graders, and no students in that grade tested as proficient; it is worth noting that the state changed both the test name and the cut scores for science that year, so direct comparisons to prior years are not reliable. Overall, across tested subjects and grades, the school’s proficiency index falls below the midpoint among districts in St. Louis County, a fact that a family should consider alongside their own child’s needs and the school’s programmatic context.
Because Floodwood Elementary serves only primary and intermediate grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer high school programs, so families will need to plan for where students will attend after sixth grade; the district includes a secondary school, but its details are beyond the scope of this snapshot. The available data also lacks information on course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, and chronic absenteeism, so a parent interested in those dimensions should inquire with the school or district office.
The small setting means class sizes are likely quite modest, and the school’s single-campus character within a very small town may offer a tightly knit environment where staff know students and families well. The district did not have recent parent-relevant changes documented in publicly available sources, suggesting stability in its operations. For a family that values a close, small school in a rural community with lower housing costs, Floodwood Elementary fits that description. For those weighing academic outcomes, the data shows a mixed picture, with some bright spots in reading alongside weaker math and science results that are worth exploring further with the school.
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