Original Research by School Decision on Red Trail Elementary School
Red Trail Elementary School sits in Mandan, a city across the Missouri River from Bismarck that began as a Northern Pacific Railroad town and agricultural hub and has since diversified into food processing, petroleum refining, power generation, software, manufacturing, and retail. Mandan retains what it calls a hometown atmosphere, with a traditional Main Street corridor hosting community events like Buggies-n-Blues, Rodeo Days parades, and summer weeknight concerts in Dykshoorn Park. The city maintains dozens of neighborhood parks and miles of walking and bike trails, though its spread-out footprint and highway corridors make much of daily life car-dependent. Major employers include the Marathon Petroleum refinery north of town, BNSF Railway's rail division headquarters and maintenance facility, a federal agricultural research station, and state and federal correctional institutions. The broader Bismarck-Mandan metro area is growing, and Mandan itself has added population since the 2020 census. The city has drawn national attention as a desirable place to live.
Red Trail is part of the Mandan 1 school district, which operates multiple elementary schools, a middle school, and Mandan High School on separate campuses spread across the city rather than clustered downtown. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school. Its enrollment is sizable for an elementary building, with roughly even distribution across the grade levels and a pre-kindergarten program for younger children. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic, Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not available, so those population sizes are unknown here. No charter or magnet designation applies. Title I status was not reported.
On North Dakota's A-PLUS assessment, Red Trail's math results are the strongest part of the picture. Third-grade proficiency sits in a range that is solidly above the midpoint, and fourth-grade math is stronger still, with most students meeting or exceeding proficiency. Fifth-grade math drops off, landing in a range that straddles the middle. Participation was strong across all tested grades.
English language arts results tell a different story. Third-grade ELA proficiency starts in a middling range, then declines in fourth grade and declines further in fifth grade, where fewer than half of students reached proficiency. Science was tested only in fourth grade, and those results landed in a range just below the midpoint. Because the state changed both the assessment name and the cut scores this year, trend comparisons to prior years are not available, so it is unclear whether these results represent a change or a continuation. A parent may want to look into the fifth-grade ELA dip with the school, since it stands out relative to the stronger third- and fourth-grade math performance.
Mandan's housing market is relatively affordable compared with national figures, with typical home values below the national benchmark and modestly above the statewide benchmark. Rents are well below mortgage costs, making renting an easier entry point for families. Home values have been appreciating, and rents have risen more sharply in percentage terms, so families considering a move may find the purchase-versus-rent calculus worth a close look. The local unemployment rate has held steady, and median household income figures suggest a working-class to middle-class employment base tied to the refinery, railroad, research station, corrections, healthcare, and government.
The Mandan 1 district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as bond issues, referendums, or curriculum shifts that clear a lasting-impact bar, so there is little to report on that front. Families considering Red Trail are looking at a sizable, general-education elementary school in a growing Plains city with a diversified economy, solid early-grade math results, and ELA performance that softens as students move toward the upper elementary grades.
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