The top reported proficiency rate is 80% in Math. The lowest is 69% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Foley Elementary
Foley Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through third grade in the Foley Public School District, a position that shapes everything about the experience it offers. Because the school covers only the early elementary years, there is no graduation rate to report and no high-school-level data. What is available, state testing results for third graders, gives a clear picture of academic foundations.
On the Minnesota state assessments for the most recent testing year, third graders at Foley Elementary showed strong performance in math, with a proficiency rate that lands well above the midpoint for tested schools in the district's county. In English language arts, the third-grade proficiency rate was also solid, though a parent may want to explore how the school supports literacy in the earlier grades that are not tested. The overall proficiency index across tested subjects places Foley Elementary in the top tier of elementary schools in the county.
The student body reflects the broader community. The enrollment count, appropriate for an early elementary building, is overwhelmingly white, with small shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Asian. Roughly a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a standard measure of economic need, putting the school in a moderate range. Data on special education and English learner populations were not available for this profile.
Foley itself is a small town that serves as the county seat of Benton County, part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area. Its history as a lumber and railroad town that shifted to serving dairy farms has given way to a bedroom-community role. The population has been relatively stable, with slight recent decline, and housing vacancy rates were low at the last census, suggesting a tight supply. Homes in the Foley zip code are valued near the statewide median, with prices that have risen in the past year at a pace well above the national average, an important factor for families considering a move.
The school sits on Penn Street in Foley, and the town's compact layout means most destinations, including the downtown courthouse area, parks, and a walking trail, are likely a short drive from the school. The district brief turned up no recent major changes such as referendums or new programs to report, so the operating picture appears stable.
For a parent or resident, Foley Elementary offers a conventional early elementary experience in a small-town setting with math proficiency that stands out among the county's elementary schools. The academic picture is strongest in the grade that is tested; families with children in prekindergarten through second grade may want to ask how the school tracks early literacy and numeracy before the state assessments begin. The housing market, tight and with rising prices, suggests that the community is desirable enough that supply is constrained. The school is a fit for families who value a small-town public school environment, are comfortable with a largely homogenous student population, and want to see that the later primary grades hit a strong proficiency mark, particularly in math.
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