Original Research by School Decision on River Falls High
River Falls High is a regular, large public high school in the River Falls School District, serving ninth through twelfth grade. It is the only comprehensive high school in a district that also operates a middle school and several elementary schools, and it sits in a community that is both a college town and a commuter suburb of the Twin Cities. The school serves about a thousand students, making it a sizable high school by any measure. The student body is predominantly white, and about a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a moderate share for a school in this region. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source information.
Because River Falls High is a regular public high school, it sits within the standard public school accountability system. However, state assessment data was not present in the information we reviewed, so there is no direct evidence of how the school performs on the state’s standardized tests in reading, math, or science. A parent looking for a clear picture of academic proficiency would want to ask the school or district for its most recent state report card. The graduation rate was also not reported in the data we had, which is an unusual gap for a high school; it is possible the figure was not captured at the time of data collection. This is a piece of information any family would want to confirm directly with the school.
The school’s academic program offerings were not detailed in the source material. The district brief does provide one major piece of context: in late 2024, voters approved a referendum to fund facility improvements across the district, including classroom additions and expansions at River Falls High School. The referendum was structured so that the property tax mill rate would not increase, because prior district debt was dropping off. This means the high school is set to receive new or expanded classroom space in the near future, which could affect the learning environment, course availability, and the feel of the campus for current and incoming students.
River Falls itself is a mixed-use college town and a functional commuter suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota, located about thirty miles east of the Twin Cities. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is a dominant local institution, and the city has a vibrant downtown Main Street with restaurants and shops along the Kinnickinnic River, a popular trout stream. Many residents commute to jobs in Minnesota daily, giving the town a dual identity: a small college community with a traditional downtown and a significant number of families whose work lives are tied to the larger metropolitan area. The city has many parks, miles of trails, and a strong outdoor recreation culture. Housing values in the area are near the national average, and rents are moderate relative to the broader market; the area has seen a modest year-over-year increase in both home values and rents.
The district’s position relative to other districts in Pierce County could not be determined from the source data. The comparison set exists, but the needed metrics—proficiency, graduation rate, chronic absenteeism—were all missing from the school-level information, so there is no way to say how River Falls High stacks up against its county peers on the usual academic indicators. This is a significant gap for a family trying to evaluate the school comparatively.
For a parent or resident, the picture is clear in some ways and incomplete in others. River Falls High is a large, comprehensive high school in a growing college town that also functions as a Twin Cities commuter suburb. It serves a predominantly white student body with moderate economic diversity. The school is about to undergo facility upgrades funded by a voter-approved referendum that will not raise local property taxes. What is missing is any direct evidence of academic outcomes: test scores and a graduation rate were not available in the data we reviewed. Any family considering this school would be well served to request that information from the district office or the school itself before making a decision.
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