Sunrise River Elementary School

Sunrise River Elementary School, a roomy primary school in NORTH BRANCH, Minnesota, run under North Branch Area Public Schools, teaches 960 students, covering grades 1 through 5. Compared to the state average of about 344 students per school, that is 179% above typical.

North Branch Area Public Schools comprises 7 schools with combined enrollment of 2,704 students; Sunrise River Elementary School is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Sunrise River Elementary School reports that 82% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Beyond that, the school lists 8% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 91% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, The school employs 54 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.7:1. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 31% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, Sunrise River Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.0%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Chisago County indicate median household income runs about $99,400, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Chisago County runs 27 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,668 students), of which Sunrise River Elementary School is one.

North Branch Area High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Sunrise River Elementary School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Sunrise River Elementary School at 1st of 4; the average score across the group is 34.6%.

Sunrise River Elementary School operates from a rural location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 5%: 1,010 students in 2018 compared to 960 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 89% to 82% across the same window.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.