Smec Alternative Learning Center

Summary:

Smec Alternative Learning Center is a public high school in Austin, Minnesota, serving grades 5-12 with a total enrollment of just 45 students. This small alternative school faces significant challenges, including consistently low academic performance, high poverty rates, and struggles with student retention and graduation.

Smec Alternative Learning Center has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in Minnesota, with 0% proficiency in Math and only 10.53% proficiency in Reading for all grades. The school serves a high-poverty student population, with 71.11% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state and nearby school districts. Smec Alternative Learning Center has also grappled with high dropout rates, reaching as high as 25% in the 2017-2018 school year, and inconsistent four-year graduation rates ranging from 56.2% to 92.8% over the past five years.

In comparison, nearby schools like Grand Meadow Senior High, Hayfield Secondary, and Southland Senior High generally perform better academically and have higher graduation rates. The challenges faced by Smec Alternative Learning Center are common for many alternative schools serving students who have faced difficulties in traditional school settings, and the data suggests the school may benefit from targeted interventions and support programs to address the specific needs of its student population.

Detail:

Public 5-12

21697 State Highway 56
Austin, MN 55912-8888

(507) 438-5397

District: Southern Mn Education Consortium

Student/teacher ratio: 36.5

Number of students: 73

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.5%

Hispanic:

13.7%

African American:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Smec Alternative Learning Center is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.86. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Smec Alternative Learning Center who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.5%), Hispanic (13.7%), African American (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Smec Alternative Learning Center is 36.5. (See more...)

Compare Smec Alternative Learning Center employs 2 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Smec Alternative Learning Center was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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Rank History for Smec Alternative Learning Center

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Rank History for all students at Smec Alternative Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	3.86	470^th	476	1.3%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Smec Alternative Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	5.01	387^th	393	1.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Smec Alternative Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	1.58	397^th	398	0.3%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Smec Alternative Learning Center

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2017	0	0	0	0	0
2018	19	0	1	1	21
2019	17	0	2	2	21
2020	22	0	6	1	29
2021	30	0	8	1	39
2022	36	3	6	1	46
2023	34	3	7	1	45
2024	58	3	10	2	73

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Smec Alternative Learning Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	0	0.0	n/a	n/a
2018	21	1.0	21.0	66.7
2019	21	n/a	n/a	52.4
2020	29	0.0	n/a	41.4
2021	39	1.0	39.0	23.1
2022	46	1.0	46.0	43.5
2023	45	1.0	45.0	71.1
2024	73	2.0	36.5	78.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Smec Alternative Learning Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	0	0.0	n/a	n/a
2018	21	1.0	21.0	66.7
2019	21	n/a	n/a	52.4
2020	29	0.0	n/a	41.4
2021	39	1.0	39.0	23.1
2022	46	1.0	46.0	43.5
2023	45	1.0	45.0	71.1
2024	73	2.0	36.5	78.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Smec Alternative Learning Center

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	21	45	114.3%
African American	0	3
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	7	250%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	17	34	100%
Two or More Races	2	1	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.4%	71.1%	18.7%

Schools Near Smec Alternative Learning Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)					MCA-III Reading (2024)					MCA-III Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science End of Course	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Smec Alternative Learning Center	Public	5-12	21697 State Highway 56	Austin	55912	Mower County	Southern Mn Education Consortium	No	No	No	No	(507) 438-5397	73	2	36.5	78.1%	58 (79.5%)	3 (4.1%)	10 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)								(n/a)
SMEC Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	21697 State Highway 56	Austin	55912	Mower County	Southern Mn Education Consortium	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 857-1160	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Austin Senior High	Public	9-12	301 3rd St NW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 460-1800	1,408	78	17.9	57.2%	609 (43.3%)	111 (7.9%)	467 (33.2%)	141 (10.0%)	3 (0.2%)	39 (2.8%)	38 (2.7%)	26.9	362^nd of 480 public high schools	24.6%		41.9	300^th of 476 public high schools	37.0%	62				17.7	17.7				35.3	35.3		24.8	24.8	$13,519
Austin Area Learning Center	Public	6-12	301 3rd St NW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 460-1804	194	2	107.1	71.6%	77 (39.7%)	15 (7.7%)	72 (37.1%)	17 (8.8%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (4.1%)	4 (2.1%)	6.2	451^st of 480 public high schools	6.0%		4.7	465^th of 476 public high schools	2.3%	14		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0		5.6	5.3	20.0	10.5	0.0	5.0	2.6	$15,568
Austin Area Learning Cntr. - Summer	Public	9-12	301 3rd St NW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 460-1804	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)														$6,248
Austin Online Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	301 3rd St NW	Austin	55912	Mower County	Austin Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(507) 460-1830	93	3	29.7	51.6%	57 (61.3%)	5 (5.4%)	22 (23.7%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	4 (4.3%)	15.8	411^th of 480 public high schools	14.4%					(n/a)				10.0	10.0				33.3	33.3		10.0	10.0
Southland Senior High	Public	9-12	200 NW Water St	Adams	55909	Mower County	Southland Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 582-3568	187	8	24.8	21.4%	172 (92.0%)	1 (0.5%)	12 (6.4%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.5	105^th of 480 public high schools	78.1%		67.1	148^th of 476 public high schools	68.9%	43				27.5	27.5				70.0	70.0		50.0	50.0	$23,558
Lyle High School	Public	9-12	700 2nd Street	Lyle	55953	Mower County	Lyle Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 325-2201	84	10	8.6	54.8%	70 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	50.9	252^nd of 480 public high schools	47.5%		30.9	359^th of 476 public high schools	24.6%	107				38.1	38.1				45.0	45.0		28.6	28.6	$11,980
Next Step East (Grand Meadow)	Public	8-12	112 Main St S	Grand Meadow	55936	Mower County	Southern Mn Education Consortium	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 857-1160	4	0			4 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Hayfield Secondary	Public	6-12	9 6th Ave SE	Hayfield	55940	Dodge County	Hayfield Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 671-1555	353	22	16.0	34.8%	314 (89.0%)	3 (0.8%)	25 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	50.9	250^th of 480 public high schools	47.9%		54.3	228^th of 476 public high schools	52.1%	22	28.6	24.4	22.0	12.8	22.6	48.3	34.8	26.0	53.1	40.9	20.4	40.8	30.6	$10,914

Frequently Asked Questions about Smec Alternative Learning Center

What district is Smec Alternative Learning Center in?

Southern Mn Education Consortium

What is the racial makeup of Smec Alternative Learning Center?

Students at Smec Alternative Learning Center are 79% White, 14% Hispanic, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Smec Alternative Learning Center?

In the 2023-24 school year, 73 students attended Smec Alternative Learning Center.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.