New York Mills Elementary, New York Mills MN

Original Research by School Decision on New York Mills Elementary

New York Mills Elementary is a regular public school serving students in pre-kindergarten through grade six, part of the New York Mills Public School District. The setting is a small, compact town in Otter Tail County with a strong Finnish heritage, a community-oriented atmosphere, and a mix of residential neighborhoods, agriculture, and manufacturing. Lund Boat Company, a fishing boat manufacturer, is a major local employer. The population has grown steadily in recent years, and the city presents itself as progressive and forward-thinking.

The school’s enrollment is of a modest size for the elementary span it covers. The student body is predominantly white, with very small shares of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races, and extremely minimal representation of other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a notable portion of families have lower household incomes. Data on the number of students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported in the available information.

Academic performance on the state’s assessments, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, varied notably by subject and grade level. In mathematics, most grade levels showed a majority of students meeting proficiency standards. Reading and English language arts results were more mixed, with the lower elementary grades showing roughly half of students proficient, while the upper elementary grades reached a higher proficiency share. Science performance, which is tested only at grade five, was lower, with just over a quarter of students scoring at the proficient level, a figure a parent may wish to discuss with the school to understand the context.

When compared to other districts within Otter Tail County, New York Mills Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile among the districts that had data. This comparison group includes all districts in the county, not just those of similar size or setting. Because the school serves only grades six and below, it has no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was also not available.

The school offers a standard elementary curriculum, but specific program offerings such as art, music, physical education, or specialized academic supports were not detailed in the available information. Parents seeking a clear picture of enrichment or intervention programs would need to contact the school directly.

The community itself provides a small-town context. The town has six well-maintained parks and a small downtown area along a U.S. highway. A cultural center serves as a key arts anchor. The school building is integrated into the compact town rather than sitting on a separated campus. Housing values in the area are below the state median and below the national median, which may be a factor for families considering a move.

For a family, New York Mills Elementary presents itself as a school in a stable, growing small town, with academic proficiency that stands relatively high among county peers, particularly in math. The lower science results at grade five and the absence of detailed program or support data are areas where a parent would want to gather more information from the school. The student body is not notably diverse, and a significant portion of families are navigating economic challenges, both of which are straightforward characteristics of the school’s peer environment rather than value judgments.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 478%

School 78% · District 78%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 17 pts above state median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 27%

▲ 3 pts above state median

This schoolNEW YORK MILLS PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST., same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income62%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income67%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income55%Higher-income73%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income74%Higher-income65%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income67%Higher-income81%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income62%Higher-income89%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income66%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income63%Higher-income63%0 pp gap