Enrollment
256
High
DISTRICT 298 · STATE 371
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·FOSSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 271230000602
FOSSTON SECONDARY
301 1ST ST E, FOSSTON, MN 56542 · (218) 435-1909 · Polk County
GRADES 07–12HIGH43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL256 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 81% of Minnesota public high schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Minnesota public high schools
Student : Teacher
13.4:1
19 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.0:1 · STATE 16.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
127 students
DISTRICT 54% · STATE 48%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 54 | 21% |
| Grade 8 | 39 | 15% |
| Grade 9 | 37 | 14% |
| Grade 10 | 42 | 16% |
| Grade 11 | 44 | 17% |
| Grade 12 | 40 | 16% |
Student demographics
33%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 33% · STATE 60% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within FOSSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCA 2024-25 . % Meets or Exceeds StandardsEnglish Language Arts
53.4%
MN avg 49.7%
Math
45.0%
MN avg 45.3%
What this means: On the MCA, Minnesota's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 45 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Minnesota schools, those numbers are about 50 and 45.
Source: MCA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
45.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
38.4%
based on MN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.8pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 45% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 38% typical for Minnesota schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Minnesota's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like FOSSTON SECONDARY
FOSSTON SECONDARY's state test result (45.2% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOSSTON SECONDARY this school | 256 | 49.6% | 45.2% |
| BLACKDUCK SECONDARY BLACKDUCK | 284 | 50.0% | 33.1% |
| NASHWAUK SECONDARY NASHWAUK | 228 | 51.8% | 35.3% |
| McGregor Secondary MCGREGOR | 193 | 50.3% | 32.8% |
| CHISHOLM SECONDARY CHISHOLM | 291 | 51.5% | 25.2% |
| GREENWAY SENIOR HIGH COLERAINE | 271 | 45.8% | 41.2% |
Matched among Minnesota high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where FOSSTON SECONDARY ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Minnesota | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.2% | #127 of 397 | N/A |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 45.0% | #92 of 401 | N/A |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 53.4% | #121 of 397 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 256 | #293 of 764 | #3 of 8 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.4:1 | #55 of 332 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 32.6% | #181 of 338 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 49.6% | #127 of 444 | N/A |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -19.0% | #28 of 146 | N/A |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
256
-45 (-15%) vs 2020
-30% since 1990-91, when it was 366
Student : Teacher
13.4:1
was 17.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 256 | 19.2 | 13.4:1 | 50% (127) |
| 2023-24 | 274 | 19 | 14.4:1 | 55% (150) |
| 2022-23 | 278 | 17.1 | 16.3:1 | 54% (149) |
| 2020-21 | 301 | 17 | 17.7:1 | 30% (91) |
| 2017-18 | 316 | 24.3 | 13.0:1 | 31% (99) |
| 2015-16 | 302 | 22 | 13.7:1 | 35% (107) |
| 2010-11 | 309 | 24 | 12.9:1 | 36% (112) |
| 2000-01 | 361 | 25 | 14.4:1 | 35% (126) |
| 1990-91 | 366 | 25 | 14.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for FOSSTON SECONDARY.
Since 2017-18: students down 19% (316 to 256); teachers down 21% (24.3 to 19.2).
About FOSSTON SECONDARY
FOSSTON SECONDARY is a high school with a street address in FOSSTON, Minnesota. Its 256 students are spread across grades 7 through 12. The typical figure for high schools in Minnesota is about 371 students.
FOSSTON SECONDARY is part of FOSSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, where 2 schools serve 596 students.
Federal enrollment data show FOSSTON SECONDARY is 81% White. Other groups include 11% Native American, 4% multiracial, and 3% Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 33% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
The count of teachers at FOSSTON SECONDARY is 19.2 full-time equivalents, for a ratio of 13.4:1. That is 3.0 students per teacher below the 16.3:1 average for high schools in Minnesota. Around 50% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Measured against Minnesota public high schools, FOSSTON SECONDARY receives an A-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
FOSSTON SECONDARY's actual average proficiency rate on state tests (45.2%) and its predicted rate (38.4%) put it outside the top and bottom 10% of Minnesota schools.
Within Polk County, the median household income is $73,107, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Besides FOSSTON SECONDARY, Polk County has 19 other public schools.
MAGELSSEN ELEMENTARY is the public school closest to FOSSTON SECONDARY, about 0.3 miles away. Nearby schools average 38.6% on proficiency, and FOSSTON SECONDARY is above that at 45.2%.
NCES describes the area around FOSSTON SECONDARY as Rural: Remote, meaning in rural territory far from an urban area.
Enrollment has fallen by 45 students since 2020-21, to 256. The number of students per teacher fell from 17.7 to 13.4 over 4 years.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news at FOSSTON SECONDARY. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
30,705
Census ACS
Median income
$73,107
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
28%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
20
5,075 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in FOSSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
- MAGELSSEN ELEMENTARYElementary · 340 students
Nearby schools
- MAGELSSEN ELEMENTARY0.3 mi · 340
- WIN-E-MAC SECONDARY12.6 mi · 211
- WIN-E-MAC ELEMENTARY12.6 mi · 247
- BAGLEY ELEMENTARY16.6 mi · 482
- BAGLEY SECONDARY16.7 mi · 388
- CLEARBROOK-GONVICK SECONDARY17.2 mi · 206
Frequently asked questions
About FOSSTON SECONDARYWhat is the total enrollment at FOSSTON SECONDARY?
FOSSTON SECONDARY enrolls approximately 256 students in grades 07-12.
What grades does FOSSTON SECONDARY serve?
FOSSTON SECONDARY serves grades 07-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at FOSSTON SECONDARY?
The student-to-teacher ratio at FOSSTON SECONDARY is approximately 13.4:1 (19 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at FOSSTON SECONDARY?
At FOSSTON SECONDARY, the student body is approximately 81% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% Black, 0% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees FOSSTON SECONDARY?
FOSSTON SECONDARY is overseen by FOSSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT in Polk County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.