West Elementary

West Elementary, an intimate elementary school in SLAYTON, Minnesota, part of Murray County Central Schools, serves 256 students, covering grades 2 through 6. Enrollment runs roughly 26% smaller than the state mean of about 344.

Murray County Central Schools comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 721 students; West Elementary is among them.

Looking at the student body, West Elementary shows that nearly all students (84%) are White. Beyond that, the school reports 11% Hispanic, 2% Black.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, West Elementary has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 9.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting West Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 42% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, West Elementary sits in the top 10% of Minnesota schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 42.4%; actual is 64.7%, +22.3 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the surrounding community, Murray County reports that median household earnings sit near $74,033, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Across Murray County's 6 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,057 students), West Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Murray County Central Elementary, around 0.4 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around West Elementary. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), West Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 41.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 37%: 406 students in 2018 compared to 256 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 94% to 84%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 14.3:1 in 2018 to 9.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.