BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL operates as a big elementary-level community in Watford City, North Dakota, part of MCKENZIE CO 1. Current enrollment sits at 538 students spanning grades K through 5. That puts it 154% larger than the typical public school in North Dakota, which averages around 212 students.

Within MCKENZIE CO 1, which oversees 7 schools and 2,349 students, BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the system.

Demographically, BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL logs that White students make up the majority at 61%. Beyond that, the school logs 31% Hispanic, 3% Native American, 2% multiracial. By comparison, McKenzie County as a whole is about 78% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.0:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 11.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 39% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Across the wider county, McKenzie County reports that median household income runs about $93,404, about 19% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, McKenzie County runs 13 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,091 students), of which BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is WATFORD CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 6 other public schools cluster around BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

The campus sits in a town-based setting.

Five-year trend. BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has fell 44% since 2018, when it stood at 953 (now 538). The Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 15% to 31% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.5:1 in 2018 to 12.0:1 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.