The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Roosevelt Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in Willmar, a city that functions as the county seat and regional hub for Kandiyohi County. The school is part of the Willmar Public School District and sits on the southwestern side of town. Willmar itself is a regional trade and government center with an economy rooted in agriculture, particularly turkey processing, and it has seen a substantial demographic transformation since the late 1980s as immigrants from Latin America and Northeast Africa arrived, drawn largely by labor demand at the Jennie-O poultry plant. That immigrant influx has reshaped the community’s texture and is a defining feature of the city’s recent history.
Roosevelt’s student body reflects that community. The school’s enrollment is large for an elementary serving these grades. The student population is diverse, with the largest groups being Hispanic students, White students, and Black students, and smaller shares of Asian students and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the socioeconomic context families bring to the school. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or identified as English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures and how they are staffed.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed and worth a close look. In math, proficiency rates were near the midpoint among tested grades, with a modest upward trend from third to fifth grade. In reading, the results were weaker across the board, with third-grade proficiency notably low and fourth grade also below what many families would hope to see. By fifth grade the reading proficiency rate was more in line with the middle range. Science results for fifth grade were lower than the reading and math numbers, meaning this subject area may be one where parents want to understand the curriculum and any supplemental resources the school provides.
Compared with other school districts in Kandiyohi County, Roosevelt’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint of the cohort. That is a useful local reference point, but the bar is set by a small number of districts, and the school’s own internal gaps between math and reading, and between grade levels, are more immediate for a family weighing fit.
The school serves only elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. That is a straightforward reason the measure is absent.
Willmar’s housing market is notably more affordable than state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the Minnesota median. Rents are also below what you would find in the broader metro area or statewide. The price-to-income ratio is roughly in line with what is considered typical nationally, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is lower than rent, which may matter to families considering a move to the area. The city itself is auto-oriented outside the downtown core, with a traditional grid downtown but strip commercial development along the highway corridors. Walkability is moderate downtown but limited elsewhere. Schools are on their own campuses rather than woven into the downtown fabric.
The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes in policy, programming, or facilities that would alter a family’s decision today. That absence is not unusual for a district of this size, but it means there is no recent news to factor in.
For a family considering Roosevelt, the main takeaway is a school with a diverse student body in a community that has experienced significant immigration-driven change, set in a regional economy anchored by food processing and healthcare. The academic picture is uneven, with math performance in a reasonable range but literacy and science results lower, and those gaps are the place to start a conversation with the school about what reading intervention and support look like, especially in the primary grades.
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