Public schools in Forest Lake, MN
Forest Lake has 13 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 5 high, 2 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 5,857 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Forest Lake Independent School District 831 runs 8 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Forest Lake's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Forest Lake | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lake Independent School District 831 | 8 | 5,855 | $14,282 |
| Lakes International Language Academ | 3 | 1,301 | $10,424 |
| North Lakes Academy | 2 | 599 | $11,426 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
5 high schools in Forest Lake, 2,789 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lake Area High School | 1,805 | 24.5 | 17.8% | Forest Lake Independent |
| LILA Upper School | 579 | 13.6 | 11.4% | Lakes International Language Academ |
| North Lakes Academy Upper School | 245 | 14.5 | 27.3% | North Lakes Academy |
| Forest Lake Area Community School | 113 | 11.0 | 38.1% | Forest Lake Independent |
| Step | 47 | 16.6 | 29.8% | Forest Lake Independent |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 middle schools in Forest Lake, 1,225 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lake Area Middle School | 916 | 19.2 | 19.7% | Forest Lake Independent |
| Forest Lake Elementary | 309 | 17.9 | 36.2% | Forest Lake Independent |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 elementary schools in Forest Lake, 1,740 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LILA Lower School | 607 | 14.8 | 15.5% | Lakes International Language Academ |
| Columbus Elementary | 441 | 20.1 | 12.9% | Forest Lake Independent |
| Forest View Elementary | 345 | 15.7 | 43.8% | Forest Lake Independent |
| North Lakes Academy Elementary | 220 | 13.6 | 38.2% | North Lakes Academy |
| LILA Kinder Center | 127 | 17.6 | 40.9% | Lakes International Language Academ |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Forest Lake, 103 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Special Education | 103 | 34.3 | 14.6% | Forest Lake Independent |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Forest Lake's public schools compare with Minnesota's
The median Forest Lake school has 16.6 students per full-time teacher, more than the Minnesota median of 13.7. 0% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 20% across the state. Its median school enrolls 309 students (state 275).
| Forest Lake | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 16.6 | 13.7 |
| Median school size (students) | 309 | 275 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 0% | 20% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 0% | 22% |
| Charter schools | 38% | 12% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 13 Forest Lake schools and the 2,321 Minnesota schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Forest Lake
- Forest Lake Independent School District 831Runs 8 of Forest Lake's 13 public schools and spent $14,282 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,282
- Forest Lake Area High School, the largest high school in Forest Lake1,805 students in 2024-25, 24.5 per teacher.1,805
- Compare Forest Lake Independent School District 831 with Lakes International Language AcademForest Lake's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in MinnesotaMinnesota's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Forest Lake addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Minnesota
- Saint Paul135 schools
- Minneapolis132 schools
- Rochester44 schools
- Duluth30 schools
- Brooklyn Park29 schools
- Plymouth27 schools
- Bloomington26 schools
- Apple Valley20 schools
Questions about schools in Forest Lake
How many public schools are in Forest Lake, MN?
13 public schools with an address in Forest Lake were open in 2024-25: 5 high, 2 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 5,857 students. 5 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Forest Lake?
Forest Lake Area High School, with 1,805 students in 2024-25 (Forest Lake Independent School District 831).Which districts run Forest Lake's schools?
Forest Lake Independent School District 831 (8 schools), Lakes International Language Academ (3 schools), North Lakes Academy (2 schools). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25