Afton-lakeland Elementary, Lakeland MN

Original Research by School Decision on Afton-lakeland Elementary

Afton-Lakeland Elementary sits within the Stillwater Area Public Schools, serving kindergarten through fifth grade from its location in Lakeland. This is a school with a specific identity: a regular public elementary school in a small, residential river town. The community context matters here. Lakeland is a tiny, car-dependent city in the St. Croix River Valley, a place with virtually no commercial core and a population that has been slowly declining. The housing stock is limited and owner-occupied, with a feel that residents and online sources describe as rural. This is not a high-growth suburb; it is a quiet, established enclave where the river and historic homes define the character, and where families drive to nearby Hudson, Wisconsin or the Twin Cities for most services. The school itself is the elementary option for this part of the district, and its enrollment reflects the small-town scale: a modest student body that is overwhelmingly white, with a much smaller share of students from Asian, Hispanic, or multiracial backgrounds. A relatively modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a predominantly middle-to-higher-income peer environment.

Academically, the data tells a clear story. On the state's MCA assessments, Afton-Lakeland posted strong results in reading and math, with proficiency rates that place the school well above the midpoint among districts in Washington County. In math, the percentage of students meeting standards was high across third, fourth, and fifth grades, though the fifth-grade result was the lowest of the three. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: strong overall, with fifth graders again performing at a notably higher level than fourth graders, who were the relative soft spot in the school's results. The science assessment for fifth graders showed a different picture. Here, the proficiency rate was substantially lower than in reading or math. This gap is a point a parent may want to explore further with the school, particularly since science performance is an area where this school's otherwise strong academic profile dips.

As an elementary school, Afton-Lakeland does not have a graduation rate, nor does it offer the course-access data typical of high schools. The school has no charter or magnet status and is a standard public neighborhood school. Because the data provided did not include details on special education or English learner populations, a parent with a child in either category would want to ask the school directly about those supports. The school environment section also lacked information on discipline, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism, so those dimensions of school life are not addressable from this profile.

The Stillwater Area Public Schools district itself appears to have had no significant parent-relevant changes recently reported, so the school operates within a stable district context. For a family considering this school, the core takeaway is straightforward. Afton-Lakeland Elementary offers strong academic fundamentals in reading and math, set in a small, mostly white, middle-to-higher-income community with a rural feel and a stable housing market. The weaker science results are a clear caveat. The community itself is quiet and residential, without a downtown or much commercial life, so families will be driving for most errands and activities. For a parent who values a small, high-performing elementary in a low-key river town setting, this school fits that profile well. For a parent seeking a more diverse peer group or a community with more growth and amenities, it may not be the right match.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 388%

School 88% · District 65% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 472%

School 72% · District 70% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 50% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 56% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 59% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 66% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 36% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

This schoolStillwater Area Public Schools, 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-income58%Higher-income75%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income73%Higher-income62%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income82%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income80%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income75%Higher-income90%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income64%Higher-income73%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income71%13 pp gap