Pennington County Schools & Education
Pennington County, Minnesota
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
38/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
85.9%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
85.9%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 86.6%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,350
National avg $13,239
State avg $8,463
School Score
38/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#80
of 87 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Pennington County
Measured School Summary
Pennington County faces educational challenges with a school score of 38/100 and a graduation rate of 85.9%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $7,350 per pupil, Pennington County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 32% below the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.7 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Pennington 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
7 public schools and 2 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
38/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #80 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.
Completion
85.9%
0.7 pts below the state average
Funding context
$7,350
$1,113 below the state average
School coverage
7
2 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Pennington County has 7 public schools across 2 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.
What Pennington 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.
Small-system county
Pennington County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.
State position
#80
of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 17 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.
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary to high school visible
1,806 students
5 listed schools in this county slice.
GOODRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary and high visible
263 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 5 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 Pennington County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Pennington County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Pennington 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.
Pennington's Two-District Education Network
Pennington County manages a compact education system consisting of 7 public schools serving 2,069 students. The infrastructure is primarily concentrated in two districts, featuring four high schools, two elementary schools, and one middle school.
Graduation Rates Near State Averages
The county reports an 85.9% graduation rate, which sits just below the Minnesota state average of 86.6% and the national 87% benchmark. Local per-pupil spending of $7,350 is more conservative than the state average of $8,463 and significantly lower than the national $13,000 median.
Thief River Falls Leads Local Enrollment
The Thief River Falls School District is the county's primary provider, educating 1,806 students across five schools. The remaining 263 students are served by the Goodridge Public School District, and there are currently no charter schools operating in the county.
A Mix of Town and Rural Settings
Schooling here split between four town-based facilities and three rural locations, with an average school size of 345 students. Challenger Elementary is the largest campus with 783 students, while Goodridge Secondary offers a more intimate setting with just 114 students.
School Overview
Total Schools
7
in Pennington County
Reported Enrollment
2,069
7 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Pennington County
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
GOODRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
7 Public Schools in Pennington County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 7 of 7 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHALLENGER ELEMENTARY | Record | THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT | THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 783 |
| LINCOLN SENIOR HIGH | Record | THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT | THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 570 |
| FRANKLIN MIDDLE | Record | THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT | THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 421 |
| GOODRIDGE ELEMENTARY | Record | GOODRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | GOODRIDGE, 56725Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 149 |
| GOODRIDGE SECONDARY | Record | GOODRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | GOODRIDGE, 56725Rural: Remote | 7–12 | High | 114 |
| NORTHWEST AREA LEARNING CENTER | Record | THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT | THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701Town: Remote | 9–12 | Alternative | 32 |
| Summer NW Area Learning Center | Record | THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT | THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701Town: Remote | 9–12 | Alternative | 0 |
CHALLENGER ELEMENTARY
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701 / Rural: Fringe
LINCOLN SENIOR HIGH
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701 / Town: Remote
FRANKLIN MIDDLE
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701 / Town: Remote
GOODRIDGE ELEMENTARY
GOODRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
GOODRIDGE, 56725 / Rural: Remote
GOODRIDGE SECONDARY
GOODRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
GOODRIDGE, 56725 / Rural: Remote
NORTHWEST AREA LEARNING CENTER
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701 / Town: Remote
Summer NW Area Learning Center
THIEF RIVER FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
THIEF RIVER FALLS, 56701 / Town: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,350
State avg $8,463
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Pennington County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Minnesota?
How should I read the school score in Pennington County?
What is the graduation rate in Pennington County?
How much does Pennington County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Pennington County, Minnesota — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Pennington County, Minnesota?
Pennington County manages a compact education system consisting of 7 public schools serving 2,069 students. The infrastructure is primarily concentrated in two districts, featuring four high schools, two elementary schools, and one middle school.
How do schools in Pennington County perform academically?
The county reports an 85.9% graduation rate, which sits just below the Minnesota state average of 86.6% and the national 87% benchmark. Local per-pupil spending of $7,350 is more conservative than the state average of $8,463 and significantly lower than the national $13,000 median.
What are the major school districts in Pennington County, Minnesota?
The Thief River Falls School District is the county's primary provider, educating 1,806 students across five schools. The remaining 263 students are served by the Goodridge Public School District, and there are currently no charter schools operating in the county.
What is the school experience like in Pennington County?
Schooling here split between four town-based facilities and three rural locations, with an average school size of 345 students. Challenger Elementary is the largest campus with 783 students, while Goodridge Secondary offers a more intimate setting with just 114 students.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.