The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rapelje School
Rapelje School serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in a tiny, unincorporated farming community in northern Stillwater County. The school is the elementary arm of the Rapelje Elem district, which also operates a separate high school in the same community. With a small enrollment, the school is one of the few institutional anchors in a town that has seen long-term population decline since the railroad left decades ago.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of students identifying as two or more races. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that is present but not dominant. The school serves only early and middle grades, ending at sixth grade, which means families will need to plan for a transition to the district's high school or another option for seventh grade onward.
State testing data for math and English language arts shows that no students in the tested grades scored at the proficient level. The number of students tested in those subjects was very small, and the proficiency rate was reported as zero. In science, the results were suppressed due to the small number of test-takers, which is a common practice when student counts are low enough to risk identifying individuals. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Stillwater County. A parent considering this school will want to discuss academic support and instruction directly with the school, as the published test results are limited and reflect a very small testing population.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access were not available in the provided records. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes, which is consistent with a very small, stable rural district where operations change slowly.
Rapelje itself is a place shaped by agricultural rhythms and a history of decline. The 2020 census counted 88 residents. The town was once a railroad stop with a hotel, grocery store, and town hall, but after the railroad was removed, those businesses closed or were lost. What remains are grain elevators, a cafe, a church, and the school. The school is the primary civic anchor, and for a family living here, it is the center of community life. The surrounding area includes two national wildlife refuges, and the annual mountain bike race draws visitors. There is no evidence of new housing or growth; the population has been shrinking for decades.
For a family already rooted in this rural area, Rapelje School offers the convenience of a local elementary school in a tight-knit setting. The academic results are weak on paper, but the testing population is so small that a single year's data may not tell the full story. A parent should expect to be closely involved and to seek a clear picture of how the school supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks. The school's size means individualized attention is possible, but the available evidence does not show strong academic outcomes.
See more original research from School Decision →