Cass Lake-Bena School District

208 Central Ave Nw
Cass Lake, MN 56633-0004
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Cass Lake-Bena School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Minnesota for:

Category
Attribute
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 2 public middle schools serving 406 students in Cass Lake-Bena School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Minnesota.
Public Middle Schools in Cass Lake-Bena School District have an average math proficiency score of 9% (versus the Minnesota public middle school average of 40%), and reading proficiency score of 22% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 96% of the student body (majority American Indian), which is more than the Minnesota public middle school average of 39% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (MN)
# Schools
4 Schools
1,015 Schools
# Students
1,119 Students
268,742 Students
# Teachers
105 Teachers
17,483 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Cass Lake-Bena School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 515 school districts in Minnesota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 53% has increased from 40-44% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (MN)
#451 out of 525 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
16%
46%
22%
51%
15%
41%
53%
84%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.12
0.60
% American Indian
94%
2%
% Asian
n/a
7%
% Hispanic
1%
11%
% Black
n/a
13%
% White
4%
61%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
1%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $28,126 is higher than the state median of $17,742. The school district revenue/student has grown by 18% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $23,139 is higher than the state median of $18,463. The school district spending/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (MN)
Total Revenue
$32 MM
$15,547 MM
Spending
$26 MM
$16,179 MM
Revenue / Student
$28,126
$17,742
Spending / Student
$23,139
$18,463

Best Cass Lake-Bena School District Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Cass Lake-bena Area Lrng. Cntr.
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
208 Central Ave Nw
Cass Lake, MN 56633
(218) 335-2204
Gr: 7-12 | 94 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 96%
Rank: #22.
Cass Lake-bena Middle School
(Math: 8% | Reading: 22%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
15314 State 371 Nw
Cass Lake, MN 56633
(218) 335-2203
Gr: 5-8 | 312 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 96%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 4 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 1,119 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 96%
  • : 53% (Btm 50% in MN)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 16% (Btm 50%)
  • : 22% (Btm 50%)
  • : 15% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MN Dept. of Education

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