Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Senior High
Lincoln Senior High serves as the sole comprehensive high school for the Thief River Falls School District, a regular public school enrolling students from ninth through twelfth grade in a modest-sized city that functions as a regional commercial and industrial center in northwestern Minnesota. The school sits within a community that has a mix of residential, manufacturing, and distribution activity, anchored by employers such as Digi-Key Electronics and Arctic Cat, and set amid rivers and wildlife refuges. The high school is one of several district schools within the same small city, and the civic landscape includes a prominent hockey arena built for the school’s team.
Academically, state testing data from the most recent school year shows that roughly two out of five students met proficiency standards in English language arts, while about one in five met the bar in math. These results represent a single year’s snapshot, and no prior-year trend is available to gauge improvement or decline. A parent looking for a trajectory will need to ask the school directly. The graduation rate is not reported in the data we have, so a family should verify that figure with the district. Chronic absenteeism data is also absent from the available records.
Enrollment is small, which is typical for a rural high school of this size. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Black. Roughly a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a standard marker of economic need. Data on special education identification and English learner status were not provided, so a parent may want to ask how the school supports students with those needs.
The district context matters here. Voters rejected an operating levy in late 2024, which forced the school board to approve budget reductions for the following fiscal year that included the elimination of staffing positions and cuts to programs and services. District enrollment has been declining, compounding the funding pressure. These changes mean the high school may be operating with fewer resources and larger class sizes than in the past, and families will want to understand the direct effects on course offerings, extracurriculars, and support staff. Separately, the district began a new literacy curriculum in elementary grades, but that shift does not directly affect the high school.
Thief River Falls itself offers a lower-cost housing market compared with the state and national averages, and local home values have seen a slight dip in the most recent year. The city has a compact downtown, an airport with daily flights, and recreational assets along the two rivers. The high school building is located within the city rather than on a separate campus, and the district’s elementary and middle schools are also in town.
Program information such as Advanced Placement, concurrent enrollment, career and technical education pathways, or specialty academies was not included in the data. Without that, a parent cannot assess the breadth of academic options beyond the general curriculum. Prospective families should contact the school to learn about the range of courses, dual-credit opportunities, and any signature programs that may exist.
In summary, Lincoln Senior High is a traditional public high school in a small city with an industrial base, operating under notable budget constraints and a recent levy failure. Academic proficiency in math and reading is on the lower side, and no graduation rate or trend data are available to fill out the picture. The school serves a predominantly white student body with a moderate level of economic diversity. The community offers affordable housing and a modest set of civic amenities. A family considering this school will want to investigate the current state of staffing, program offerings, and the effects of ongoing budget reductions before making a decision.
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