The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in Math. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hills-beaver Creek Elementary
Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary is a regular public school in the small rural city of Beaver Creek, Minnesota, serving children from prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Hills-Beaver Creek School District, which includes only two elementary-grade schools in Rock County, making this a tightly knit, locally operated school for the community’s youngest students.
Academically, the school shows a variable picture across tested grades and subjects. In math, proficiency was strongest in the earlier tested grades, with a noticeable drop by fifth grade. In reading, performance also varied by grade, with third graders posting a stronger result than fourth graders, while fifth graders landed in between. Science results, available only for fifth graders, were markedly lower. The school’s overall proficiency index, averaged across all tested subjects and grades, placed it at the top of the small field within Rock County’s two districts — a positive signal given the comparison set. Because the school does not serve grades beyond fifth, there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing data is limited to the three grades that are assessed. Parents may wish to follow up directly with the school about how it supports students whose performance dips in later elementary years and how science instruction is structured.
The student body is small, with a composition that is predominantly white and includes small shares of students identified as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black. Approximately a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a modest share of families with lower income. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so families with children in those categories would need to ask the school directly about services and supports.
Beaver Creek itself is a very small, car-dependent village. The town covers only a compact area, with Interstate 90 running through it and a state highway a few miles west. Most residents drive alone to work, commuting an average distance that suggests many work outside the immediate community. The largest employment sectors locally are manufacturing, educational services, and health care and social assistance, though no single large employer was named in available sources. Civic anchors include city hall, a post office, and a fire department; no public library or public transit was identified. The population has been declining in recent years, and median property values have also decreased, pointing to a community that is not experiencing growth pressure. The school’s setting is thus a quiet, stable rural environment.
The district itself has no publicly reported recent changes of lasting impact that met the bar for inclusion here, so a parent may want to check with the school or district office for any current initiatives or facility updates.
Overall, Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary offers a small-scale, locally grounded elementary experience in a rural, car-dependent community with a declining population. Its academic results show real strengths in early elementary math and third-grade reading, but also meaningful variability that merits attention. For a family that values a very small school in a quiet rural village, this could be a good fit; for those looking for a broader range of academic programs or a more diverse peer environment, the options are limited by the school’s size and setting.
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