R.I.S.E. Program

R.I.S.E. Program is a combined-grade school of minimally staffed scale in NEW ULM, Minnesota, part of RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT, instructing 17 students in grades K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 50 students per school, that is 66% below typical.

RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT comprises 7 schools with combined enrollment of 226 students; R.I.S.E. Program is among them.

On the student-mix side, R.I.S.E. Program reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (82%). The remainder reads as 12% Hispanic, 6% Native American. The wider county runs roughly 93% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, R.I.S.E. Program lists 3 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 4.9:1. The state averages around 6.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 35% of students at R.I.S.E. Program qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Brown County indicate median household income runs about $69,378, 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Across Brown County's 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,672 students), R.I.S.E. Program is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: RIVER BEND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROG., around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around R.I.S.E. Program.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at R.I.S.E. Program has increased 143%, going from 7 students in 2018 to 17 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.