Can I use Crow Wing County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Crow Wing County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Crow Wing County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Crow Wing County?

Start with the 22 listed public schools and 5 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Crow Wing County Schools & Education

Name: Crow Wing County, Minnesota Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Crow Wing County, Minnesota

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

46/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,428

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,463

School Score

46/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#64

of 87 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Crow Wing County

Measured School Summary

Crow Wing County has midrange measured school signals (score: 46/100) with a graduation rate of 84.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Crow Wing County spends $8,428 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 17% below the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 0% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Crow Wing County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

22 public schools and 5 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

46/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #64 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.

Completion

84.0%

2.6 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,428

roughly matches the state average

School coverage

5 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Crow Wing County has 22 public schools across 5 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Crow Wing County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Choice-program county

Crow Wing County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.

State position

#64

of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 9 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

6,232 students

Elementary 6Middle 2High 3Other 2

13 listed schools in this county slice.

PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

1,797 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

CROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.

Elementary and high visible

1,011 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

Elementary and high visible

431 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 13 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Crow Wing County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Crow Wing County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Crow Wing County, Minnesota

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Education Across the Brainerd Lakes Area

Crow Wing County operates 22 public schools serving 9,573 students across five distinct districts. The system features 11 elementary schools and six high schools that serve both town centers and rural corridors.

Brainerd Public Schools Dominate the Region

Brainerd Public School District is the largest by far, managing 13 schools for 6,232 students. Charter schools are a significant part of the landscape here, representing 18.2% of all schools in the county.

A Mix of Town Hubs and Rural Schools

Schools are split between 13 town locations and nine rural sites, with an average enrollment of 456 students. Brainerd Senior High is the largest facility with 1,842 students, creating a vibrant high school atmosphere.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Crow Wing County

Reported Enrollment

9,573

22 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

18% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary11

Middle3

High6

Other2

5 School Districts in Crow Wing County

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

3 schools

1,797 students

CROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.

2 schools

1,011 students

CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

3 schools

431 students

Discovery Woods

1 school

102 students

22 Public Schools in Crow Wing County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 22 matching schools

Public schools in Crow Wing County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
BRAINERD SENIOR HIGH	Profile	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	9–12	High	1,842
FORESTVIEW MIDDLE	Profile	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BAXTER, 56425Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	1,790
PEQUOT LAKES SENIOR HIGH	Record	PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS	PEQUOT LAKES, 56472Rural: Remote	9–12	High	620
EAGLE VIEW ELEMENTARY	Record	PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS	PEQUOT LAKES, 56472Rural: Remote	PK–4	Primary	601
PEQUOT LAKES MIDDLE	Record	PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS	PEQUOT LAKES, 56472Rural: Remote	5–8	Middle	576
CUYUNA RANGE ELEMENTARY	Record	CROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.	CROSBY, 56441Town: Remote	PK–6	Primary	542
BAXTER ELEMENTARY	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BAXTER, 56425Rural: Fringe	PK–4	Primary	501
RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	472
CROSBY-IRONTON SECONDARY	Record	CROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.	CROSBY, 56441Town: Remote	7–12	High	469
LOWELL ELEMENTARY	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	KG–4	Primary	342
GARFIELD ELEMENTARY	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	KG–4	Primary	320
Crosslake Community 6-12 Online	Record	CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL	CROSSLAKE, 56442Rural: Remote	6–12	CharterVirtual	270
NISSWA ELEMENTARY	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	NISSWA, 56468Rural: Distant	PK–4	Primary	264
HARRISON ELEMENTARY	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	KG–4	Primary	229
BRAINERD EARLY CHILDHOOD SP. ED.	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BAXTER, 56425Town: Remote	PK	Special Education	209
ISD 181 LEARNING CENTER	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	8–12	Alternative	157
Crosslake Community Seat Based	Record	CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL	CROSSLAKE, 56442Rural: Remote	KG–8	Charter	141
Discovery Woods	Record	Discovery Woods	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	KG–6	Charter	102
LINCOLN EDUCATION CENTER	Record	BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BRAINERD, 56401Town: Remote	3–12	Alternative	91
Crosslake Community K-5 Online	Record	CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL	CROSSLAKE, 56442Rural: Remote	KG–5	CharterVirtual	20

BRAINERD SENIOR HIGH

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,842 students

FORESTVIEW MIDDLE

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BAXTER, 56425 / Rural: Fringe

Profile5–8Middle1,790 students

PEQUOT LAKES SENIOR HIGH

PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PEQUOT LAKES, 56472 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High620 students

EAGLE VIEW ELEMENTARY

PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PEQUOT LAKES, 56472 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary601 students

PEQUOT LAKES MIDDLE

PEQUOT LAKES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PEQUOT LAKES, 56472 / Rural: Remote

Record5–8Middle576 students

CUYUNA RANGE ELEMENTARY

CROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.

CROSBY, 56441 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary542 students

BAXTER ELEMENTARY

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BAXTER, 56425 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–4Primary501 students

RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary472 students

CROSBY-IRONTON SECONDARY

CROSBY-IRONTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.

CROSBY, 56441 / Town: Remote

Record7–12High469 students

LOWELL ELEMENTARY

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–4Primary342 students

GARFIELD ELEMENTARY

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–4Primary320 students

Crosslake Community 6-12 Online

CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

CROSSLAKE, 56442 / Rural: Remote

Record6–12CharterVirtual270 students

NISSWA ELEMENTARY

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

NISSWA, 56468 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary264 students

HARRISON ELEMENTARY

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–4Primary229 students

BRAINERD EARLY CHILDHOOD SP. ED.

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BAXTER, 56425 / Town: Remote

RecordPKSpecial Education209 students

ISD 181 LEARNING CENTER

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

Record8–12Alternative157 students

Crosslake Community Seat Based

CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

CROSSLAKE, 56442 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Charter141 students

Discovery Woods

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–6Charter102 students

LINCOLN EDUCATION CENTER

BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BRAINERD, 56401 / Town: Remote

Record3–12Alternative91 students

Crosslake Community K-5 Online

CROSSLAKE COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

CROSSLAKE, 56442 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–5CharterVirtual20 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,428

State avg $8,463

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Crow Wing County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Minnesota counties have the highest graduation rates?

Jackson County (95.7%), Cottonwood County (95.3%), and Cook County (95.0%) currently lead Minnesota among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Minnesota?

Across Minnesota counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $8,463. The highest current county values are Cook County ($12,089), Kittson County ($10,301), and Beltrami County ($10,167). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Crow Wing County?

Crow Wing County has a school score of 46/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Crow Wing County?

The high school graduation rate in Crow Wing County is 84.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Crow Wing County spend per student?

Crow Wing County spends $8,428 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Crow Wing County, Minnesota?

What are the major school districts in Crow Wing County, Minnesota?

What is the school experience like in Crow Wing County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Todd County

Minnesota

0 pts

46/100

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Olmsted County

Minnesota

+0 pts

46/100

School score

Lincoln County

Minnesota

+0 pts

46/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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