NISSWA ELEMENTARY

NISSWA ELEMENTARY, a low-enrollment primary school in NISSWA, Minnesota, run under BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, hosts 249 students, covering grades pre-K through 4. By comparison, Minnesota's public schools average about 344 students each, so NISSWA ELEMENTARY sits 28% smaller than that benchmark.

Across the 13 schools in BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT (6,079 students total), NISSWA ELEMENTARY accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, NISSWA ELEMENTARY lists that nearly all students (94%) are White. Other groups include 4% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Crow Wing County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.8:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 27% of students at NISSWA ELEMENTARY qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Crow Wing County (around 40%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

After controlling for student poverty, NISSWA ELEMENTARY performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 50.4%, the actual is 61.7%, a residual of +11.3 points.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Crow Wing County) logs that the typical household earns roughly $72,589 per year, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. NISSWA ELEMENTARY is one of 24 public schools in Crow Wing County (combined enrollment of about 9,399 students).

Nearest neighbor: EAGLE VIEW ELEMENTARY, around 5.6 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 3 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, NISSWA ELEMENTARY comes 3rd of 8 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 48.2%.

NISSWA ELEMENTARY operates from a countryside location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at NISSWA ELEMENTARY has fell 18%, going from 304 students in 2018 to 249 in 2025. Class-load math has tightened: from 15.1:1 in 2018 to 13.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.