Willow River Public School District

Public school district · Pine County · Minnesota · NCES district ID 2742750

Willow River Public School District spent $14,797 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 56% of the other Minnesota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $15,094). Its 2 schools enrolled 436 students in 2024-25; 67.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,595 per student, up 5.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80-89% (Minnesota: 83.3%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Minnesota districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Willow River in enrollment (399 to 428 students) and Willow River itself.

Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Willow River, FY23Lionsgate Academy $60,459; Rochester Math and Science Academy $17,732; Midway Star Academy $16,716; Aurora Charter School $16,182; Red Rock Central $15,577; Afsa High School $15,421; Isle $15,334; Willow River $14,797; Battle Lake Public Schools $13,845; Wabasso Public School $12,834; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.020k40k60k80kLionsgate Academy$60,459Rochester Math and Science Aca…$17,732Midway Star Academy$16,716Aurora Charter School$16,182Red Rock Central$15,577Afsa High School$15,421Isle$15,334Willow River$14,797Battle Lake Public Schools$13,845Wabasso Public School$12,834State median, under 1,000 students $15,094
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Willow River, FY23Lionsgate Academy $60,459; Rochester Math and Science Academy $17,732; Midway Star Academy $16,716; Aurora Charter School $16,182; Red Rock Central $15,577; Afsa High School $15,421; Isle $15,334; Willow River $14,797; Battle Lake Public Schools $13,845; Wabasso Public School $12,834; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.020k40k60k80kLionsgate Academy$60,459Rochester Math and Science Academy$17,732Midway Star Academy$16,716Aurora Charter School$16,182Red Rock Central$15,577Afsa High School$15,421Isle$15,334Willow River$14,797Battle Lake Public Schools$13,845Wabasso Public School$12,834State median, under 1,000 students $15,094
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Willow River, FY23Lionsgate Academy $60,459; Rochester Math and Science Academy $17,732; Midway Star Academy $16,716; Aurora Charter School $16,182; Red Rock Central $15,577; Afsa High School $15,421; Isle $15,334; Willow River $14,797; Battle Lake Public Schools $13,845; Wabasso Public School $12,834; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.040k80kLionsgate Academy$60,459Rochester Math and Science Academy$17,732Midway Star Academy$16,716Aurora Charter School$16,182Red Rock Central$15,577Afsa High School$15,421Isle$15,334Willow River$14,797Battle Lake Public Schools$13,845Wabasso Public School$12,834State median, under 1,000 students $15,094
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Willow River, FY23Lionsgate Academy $60,459; Rochester Math and Science Academy $17,732; Midway Star Academy $16,716; Aurora Charter School $16,182; Red Rock Central $15,577; Afsa High School $15,421; Isle $15,334; Willow River $14,797; Battle Lake Public Schools $13,845; Wabasso Public School $12,834; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.040k80kLionsgate Academy$60,459Rochester Math and Science Academy$17,732Midway Star Academy$16,716Aurora Charter School$16,182Red Rock Central$15,577Afsa High School$15,421Isle$15,334Willow River$14,797Battle Lake Public Schools$13,845Wabasso Public School$12,834State median, under 1,000 students $15,094

Where the money came from

$7,257,000 in revenue: 67.2% state, 23.7% local and 9.1% federal. Total spending including $419,000 of capital outlay was $7,049,000, or $17,068 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Willow River Public School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $4,875,000; Local $1,723,000; Federal $659,000; total $7,257,000.
  • State$4,875,000 67%
  • Local$1,723,000 24%
  • Federal$659,000 9%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 346 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

413 students in 2022-23, 415 students in 2023-24, 436 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Willow River Public School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 413, 2023-24: 415, 2024-25: 43602004006002022-234132023-244152024-25436
Willow River Public School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 413, 2023-24: 415, 2024-25: 43602004006002022-234132023-244152024-25436
Willow River Public School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 413, 2023-24: 415, 2024-25: 43602004006002022-234132023-244152024-25436
Willow River Public School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 413, 2023-24: 415, 2024-25: 43602004006002022-234132023-244152024-25436

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2341334.412.0
2023-2441533.512.4
2024-2543635.612.2

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$2,188,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,298 per student

Willow River Public School District booked $2,188,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 38 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $57,838 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 33 in 100 Minnesota districts with a figure (state median $62,418, 464 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$1,665,00076.1%
Special education$361,00016.5%
Vocational$119,0005.4%
Other programs$43,0002.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,494 in 2018-19, $4,439 in 2019-20, $4,834 in 2020-21, $4,939 in 2021-22, $5,298 in 2022-23.

Willow River Public School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,494, 2019-20: $4,439, 2020-21: $4,834, 2021-22: $4,939, 2022-23: $5,29802k4k6k2018-19$4,4942019-20$4,4392020-21$4,8342021-22$4,9392022-23$5,298
Willow River Public School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,494, 2019-20: $4,439, 2020-21: $4,834, 2021-22: $4,939, 2022-23: $5,29802k4k6k2018-19$4,4942019-20$4,4392020-21$4,8342021-22$4,9392022-23$5,298
Willow River Public School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,494, 2019-20: $4,439, 2020-21: $4,834, 2021-22: $4,939, 2022-23: $5,29802k4k6k2018-19$4,4942019-20$4,4392020-21$4,8342021-22$4,9392022-23$5,298
Willow River Public School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,494, 2019-20: $4,439, 2020-21: $4,834, 2021-22: $4,939, 2022-23: $5,29802k4k6k2018-19$4,4942019-20$4,4392020-21$4,8342021-22$4,9392022-23$5,298

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Willow River Public School District scored proficient or above: 48% in reading and 29% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Minnesota, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMinnesotaStudents tested
Reading and language arts48%51.1%213
Math29%44.8%230

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

80-89% of the 43 students in Willow River Public School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMinnesota
Four-year graduation rate80‑89%83.3%
Students in the class4369,945

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

1 elementary school, 231 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Willow River Elementary23111.635.5%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 205 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Willow River Secondary20513.133.2%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Willow River Public School District

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Willow River Public School District

  1. Minnesota districts by spending per studentWillow River Public School District ranks 194 of 346 Minnesota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,797).#194 of 346
  2. Every school district in MinnesotaWillow River Public School District is the number 327 by size of 543 Minnesota districts, with 413 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#327 of 543
  3. Rochester Math and Science AcademyThe next larger Minnesota district: 414 students in fall 2022, $17,732 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,732
  4. Aurora Charter SchoolThe next smaller Minnesota district: 412 students in fall 2022, $16,182 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,182
  5. Compare Willow River Public School District with Rochester Math and Science AcademyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Willow River Secondary, its largest high school205 students in 2024-25, 13.1 per teacher.205
  7. Teacher salary spending across MinnesotaWillow River Public School District spent $57,838 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,418); spending, not a salary.$57,838
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Willow River Public School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Willow River Public School District?
    2 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 436 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Willow River Public School District spend per student?
    $14,797 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Minnesota median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $15,094 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,595 per student, up 5.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Willow River Public School District's money come from?
    $7,257,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 67.2% state, 23.7% local and 9.1% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Willow River Public School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 38 of the 497 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.6%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Willow River Public School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $2,188,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,298 per student. Divided by the 38 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $57,838 per teacher, more than 33 in 100 Minnesota districts (state median $62,418). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Willow River Public School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Willow River Public School District scored proficient or above: 48% in reading and 29% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Minnesota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Willow River Public School District?
    80-89% of the 43 students in Willow River Public School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Willow River Public School District's NCES district ID?
    2742750. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .