The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 34% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Ellen Hopkins Elementary
Ellen Hopkins Elementary, a regular public school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Moorhead, sits within a district that has a growing student population. Voters recently approved a bond measure to build a new elementary school and expand the high school, and a brand new K-4 building opened in fall of 2024. These are signs of a district that is actively responding to enrollment increases. Ellen Hopkins itself is one of the existing elementary schools in this system.
The school’s student body reflects the broader community. Moorhead is a mid-sized city that forms part of the Fargo-Moorhead metro area, with an economy anchored by education, agriculture, and manufacturing. A substantial share of students at Ellen Hopkins qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that is higher than many surrounding schools and suggests a community where economic need is present. The student population is diverse: the largest group is white students, followed by a significant Black student population, and smaller shares of Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and multiracial students.
On state assessments, Ellen Hopkins’s proficiency rates are below the middle point when compared with other districts in Clay County. In both reading and math, the portion of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard was lower than the median for the county. It is worth noting that the test results available are from a single year, so a trend cannot be observed. Because the school serves only kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism figures were available in the data. A parent looking at these numbers will want to understand the specific academic supports in place at the school and how the school is addressing early literacy and numeracy.
The school is located in a residential area of Moorhead on South 11th Street. Housing in the area has a median value that is somewhat below the state average. Rents are also below the state median, and the monthly cost of renting is lower than the estimated cost of a mortgage on a median-priced home in the market, a pattern that makes entry into homeownership a steeper financial step. Downtown Moorhead, with its cultural institutions like the Hjemkomst Center, museum, and library, is a short drive away. The city’s street pattern and density suggest a suburban-style layout outside of the downtown core.
Several important pieces of information are missing from the data, and a parent interested in Ellen Hopkins would want to get them directly from the school or district. No information is available on the school’s Title I status, so it is unclear whether it receives federal funding to support students from low-income families. Staffing details, such as teacher experience, student-to-teacher ratio, or the presence of specialized instructors, are not provided. The share of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and the share of English learners are also absent from the data. Course access and enrichment offerings are not listed, though for a K-4 school the relevant question is often what specialist classes are available, such as art, music, physical education, and world language. None of those are described here. Discipline data, which can give a picture of school climate and whether all groups of students are treated equitably, is also absent. The school’s website, listed in the directory, would be the place to find these details.
Ellen Hopkins Elementary is a K-4 school in a district that is investing in its facilities as its enrollment grows. The academic proficiency numbers on state assessments are an area a parent will want to discuss with the principal. The school serves a diverse and economically varied student body. For a family looking into Moorhead, the recent bond passage and new elementary school elsewhere in the district suggest a system that is planning for the future, and understanding how that growth affects Ellen Hopkins directly would be a natural next step.
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