Red Lake Middle School, Red Lake MN

Original Research by School Decision on Red Lake Middle School

Red Lake Middle School serves a student body that is almost entirely American Indian, and it operates within the Red Lake Public School District on the sovereign Red Lake Indian Reservation, a closed reservation where land is held in common by the Red Lake Nation. The school is located in the census-designated place of Red Lake, which serves as the administrative and civic center for the tribal government. The community is rural and spread out, with the school situated along Highway 1 near the tribal government center, a community center, a health clinic, and other institutional anchors. Housing in the area is not part of a typical suburban real estate market, and the median household income is low, with a high poverty rate. The population has been in decline in recent years, and the region faces significant economic challenges.

Academically, the school's state assessment results present a clear reality for a family to consider. On the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in the most recent testing year, a very small share of students across grades six through eight scored as proficient in math. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency was higher but still low, with the highest rate seen in grade seven. In science, the pattern was similar. Because the school only has a single year of data for this assessment, there is no trend to point to, only a baseline. The overall proficiency index for the school, a composite measure, sits in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts across Beltrami County. A parent or resident evaluating the school should be aware of these performance levels and may want to ask the district directly about the specific academic interventions and supports in place.

The student population is overwhelmingly American Indian, reflecting the reservation community it serves. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is an indicator of the community's economic circumstances. The school serves grades six through eight, with enrollment spread roughly evenly across those three grade levels. No chronic absenteeism data and no graduation rate were available, which is consistent with a middle school that does not serve graduating seniors. Information on special education and English learner populations was also missing from the data.

The district itself has no recently reported changes or strategic initiatives of lasting impact that surfaced in available public records. That means a family looking for information on recent renovations, curriculum shifts, or new programs would need to contact the district office or the school directly to learn what is planned or underway. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it does not appear to have Title I status listed in the data.

For a family considering Red Lake Middle School, the central factor is the context of a sovereign tribal nation school serving a community where poverty is widespread and state proficiency rates are low. The school is a community anchor, and its character is inseparable from the reservation's governance and culture. A parent will want to understand what the school is doing day to day to build academic skills from a low baseline and what wraparound supports are available given the economic challenges many students face. The academic numbers are clear, and the school does not present a pathway of high test scores compared to state averages, but the setting is also not a typical suburban or urban district. Anyone evaluating this school should pursue a direct conversation with the school leadership about instruction, class size, and student supports.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 61%

School 1% · District 3% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 71%

School 1% · District 2% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 81%

School 1% · District 1%

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 610%

School 10% · District 10% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 711%

School 11% · District 12% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 81%

School 1% · District 1%

▼ 11 pts below state median

This schoolRED LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, 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 6Lower-income11%Higher-income10%0 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income6%Higher-income29%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income8%Higher-income0%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income2%Higher-income0%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income2%Higher-income0%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income2%Higher-income0%2 pp gap