Original Research by School Decision on Red Lake Alternative Learning
Red Lake Alternative Learning serves grades nine through twelve as an alternative school within the Red Lake Public School District. The school sits on Highway 1 East in Red Lake, a census-designated place that functions as the administrative center of the Red Lake Indian Reservation. The reservation is a sovereign, closed reservation where land is held in common, and the community is predominantly American Indian. Red Lake’s economy is driven largely by tribal government, the school district, a health clinic, and the tribal Department of Natural Resources. Poverty rates are high, and the population has been declining in recent years.
The school’s enrollment is small, with more than nine out of every ten students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body skews heavily toward twelfth graders, with smaller numbers in tenth and eleventh grade and no ninth graders recorded in the most recent enrollment data. The school serves as an alternative setting within the district, which means it is designed for students who may need a different academic environment than what a traditional comprehensive high school provides. No information was available on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program or those classified as English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.
State testing data for this school shows a reported proficiency rate of zero percent in both English language arts and math for the year data was available. However, because this is an alternative school working with a small and specific student population, the meaning of a single proficiency figure is different than it would be at a traditional high school. Many alternative schools serve students who are credit-deficient, have disengaged from school, or are working under unique circumstances, and state standardized tests may not capture the school’s primary goals or the progress students make there. A parent evaluating this school would likely want to understand what the alternative program looks like day to day, what credit-recovery or pathway options exist, and how the school defines success for its students.
No graduation rate data was available for this school, nor was there information about chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or course access. Because the school is an alternative high school, these gaps may reflect the fact that the school’s structure and accountability framework differ from a traditional school’s. Without this data, a family considering the school should ask the district or school leadership for recent graduation outcomes and for a description of the academic program.
The school is part of the Red Lake Public School District, and the district brief turned up no recent major changes or developments of lasting impact that are publicly reported.
Red Lake Alternative Learning is a small, tribally situated alternative high school serving a predominantly American Indian student body in a community facing economic hardship and population decline. The available academic metrics are essentially absent for a traditional evaluation, which is characteristic of many alternative schools. A family or resident wanting to understand whether this school fits a specific student’s needs would need to look beyond state test scores and focus on the school’s actual program design, support structures, and track record with its students. The school’s place within the Red Lake Nation and its role as an alternative setting make it a distinct option from the district’s main high school, but the data available publicly does not give a clear picture of outcomes.
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