Original Research by School Decision on Moorhead Alc: Dgf Secondary
Moorhead ALC: DGF Secondary is an alternative high school serving grades nine through twelve within the Moorhead Area Public Schools district. It is not a charter school. The school’s name includes “DGF,” which may reference a partnership or location tied to Dilworth, Glyndon, or Felton, but the available data does not clarify this. The school’s official listing designates it as an alternative school, a category that typically serves students who need a non-traditional setting—often those who are credit-deficient, at risk of not graduating, or looking for a flexible path to a diploma.
The data for this school is almost entirely absent. No state assessment results are reported, no graduation rate is available, and no information on chronic absenteeism or discipline is present. The comparison set that normally positions a school’s performance relative to other districts in Clay County could not be applied because the key metrics—proficiency, graduation rate, and absenteeism—were all missing. This is not unusual for an alternative school; many such schools operate outside the standard testing and accountability framework, or their enrollments are too small or too transient for reliable reporting. A parent looking for typical academic measures will not find them here and should ask the district or the school directly about how student progress is tracked and what outcomes past graduates have achieved.
Enrollment records show zeros for every grade in the most recent reporting year. That could mean zero students were enrolled at the time of data collection, or it could reflect a data gap. Alternative schools sometimes have very small enrollments that fluctuate, and the zero counts may also signal that the school is new, restructuring, or that its students are counted under another institution. Without further context from the district, this is a point to clarify with the school office.
Because the school belongs to the Moorhead Area Public Schools district, the broader district context is relevant. In November 2024, Moorhead voters approved a substantial bond referendum to fund a new elementary school, an expansion of Moorhead High School, and district-wide facility improvements. A new K-4 building, Dorothy Dodds Elementary, opened in fall 2024. The district also expanded the Moorhead High School Career Academy with a new welding lab in 2024, broadening career and technical education options. These district-level investments signal growth and a focus on both traditional academics and career pathways, but how they connect to the alternative level—if at all—is not spelled out in the available information.
The school is located in Moorhead, a mid-sized city that anchors the Fargo-Moorhead metro area across the Red River from North Dakota. Moorhead is home to three colleges and universities, and its economy blends education, healthcare, food processing (sugar beet refining, malt manufacturing), and manufacturing. The city has grown steadily in recent years, and the district’s bond referendum was driven partly by enrollment growth. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rents and mortgages are roughly comparable.
For a family considering this school, the central fact is that it is an alternative high school, and the data does not illuminate its academic profile, graduation outcomes, or student demographics. That does not mean the school is weak; it means that the usual public benchmarks are absent. A parent should expect to learn about the school’s mission, programming, student support, and track record directly from the district or the school itself. The alternative placement may offer a smaller, more individualized environment for students who need one, but without outcome data, the only way to judge fit is through conversation and a visit.
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