KING ELEMENTARY

KING ELEMENTARY, a reasonably sized elementary school in DEER RIVER, Minnesota, run under DEER RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, teaches 390 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.

DEER RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT comprises 4 schools with combined enrollment of 833 students; KING ELEMENTARY is among them.

Demographically, KING ELEMENTARY shows that the largest single group is White at 52%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder comes out to 26% Native American, 19% multiracial. By comparison, Itasca County as a whole is about 89% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, KING ELEMENTARY records 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 8.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting KING ELEMENTARY tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 68% of students at KING ELEMENTARY qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Itasca County runs at roughly 48%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, KING ELEMENTARY sits in the top 10% of Minnesota schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 28.5%; actual is 55.3%, +26.8 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Around the school, Itasca County reports that the typical household earns roughly $68,603 per year, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. KING ELEMENTARY is one of 26 public schools in Itasca County (combined enrollment of about 6,407 students).

The closest other public school is Deer River Schools SPED, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around KING ELEMENTARY. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts KING ELEMENTARY at 2nd of 4; the average score across the group is 43.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 23%: 506 students in 2018 compared to 390 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 12.2:1 in 2018 to 8.5:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.