Runestone Alternative School

Runestone Alternative School is one of the rural-scale secondary schools in ALEXANDRIA, Minnesota, overseen by Runestone Area Education District, with 22 students on its rolls from grades 7 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 94% below the state mean of about 371.

Runestone Area Education District is the operating authority for Runestone Alternative School, handling staffing, calendars, and reporting to the state department of education.

On the student-mix side, Runestone Alternative School lists that 82% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. The remainder is composed of 5% Hispanic, 5% Black, 5% multiracial, 5% Native American. By comparison, Douglas County as a whole is about 95% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Runestone Alternative School has 2 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.8:1. The state averages around 16.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 73% of students at Runestone Alternative School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Douglas County runs at roughly 31%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Douglas County indicate median household earnings sit near $79,043, about 30% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Runestone Alternative School is one of 22 public schools in Douglas County (combined enrollment of about 5,781 students).

The closest other public school is Discovery Middle School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Runestone Alternative School's enrollment has declined 73% since 2018, when it stood at 83 (now 22). Hispanic enrollment moved from 11% to 5% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 23.6:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 today.

On this page, members of the Runestone Alternative School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.