Is Perham Senior High a good school?

Perham Senior High ranks 52 nd of 480 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Perham Senior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 514 students attended Perham Senior High.

What is the racial makeup of Perham Senior High?

Students at Perham Senior High are 83% White, 10% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% African American.

What schools feed into Perham Senior High?

Perham Senior High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Heart Of The Lake Elementary Middle : Prairie Wind Middle

Perham Senior High

Summary:

Perham Senior High is a public high school in Perham, Minnesota, serving 505 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Perham-Dent Public School District, which is ranked 90 out of 463 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Perham Senior High consistently ranks among the top high schools in Minnesota, with strong academic performance. The school's proficiency rates in MCA-III assessments for Math, Reading, and Science are significantly higher than the state and district averages. For example, in 2023-2024, 58.73% of Perham Senior High's 10th-grade students were proficient or better in MCA-III Reading, compared to 52.22% for the state. The school also maintains a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 80.9% to 92.8% over the past five years, outperforming the state and district averages. While Perham Senior High has a predominantly white student population, the school has seen a gradual increase in the percentage of Hispanic and two or more races students over the past three years.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Henning Secondary, Perham Senior High outperforms in academic metrics like test scores and graduation rates. However, Perham Senior High's racial diversity is lower than some of the nearby schools, such as Detroit Lakes Senior High, which has a more diverse student population. Perham Senior High has consistently strong performance across different student subgroups, and the school has shown a steady improvement in its statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating over the past decade, rising from a 2-star rating in 2016-2017 to a 4-5 star rating in recent years.

Detail:

Public 9-12

800 Coney Street West
Perham, MN 56573-1797

(218) 346-6500

District: Perham-Dent Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
52^nd of 480 Minnesota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,207

Feeder schools for Perham Senior High:

Elementary:	Heart Of The Lake Elementary
Middle:	Prairie Wind Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 20.4

Number of students: 514

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.7%

Hispanic:

9.5%

Two or more races:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.1%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Perham Senior High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Perham Senior High ranks better than 89.2% of high schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.14. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Perham Senior High 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 (82.7%), Hispanic (9.5%), two or more races (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 32.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Perham Senior High is 20.4. (See more...)

Compare Perham Senior High employs 25.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Perham Senior High is $11,207.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Perham Senior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Perham Senior High 52^nd of 480 Minnesota public high schools. (See Perham Senior High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Perham-Dent Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Perham-Dent Public School District 90^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Perham Senior High?

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Rank History for Perham Senior High

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Rank History for all students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	74.88	120^th	433	72.3%
2005	72.37	146^th	452	67.7%
2006	71.24	154^th	450	65.8%
2007	71.79	141^st	463	69.5%
2008	70.01	168^th	460	63.5%
2009	75.06	60^th	234	74.4%
2010	73.03	127^th	540	76.5%
2011	78.60	71^st	545	87.0%
2012	74.00	123^rd	539	77.2%
2013	82.07	41^st	534	92.3%
2014	66.97	176^th	483	63.6%
2015	60.23	231^st	504	54.2%
2016	65.37	188^th	489	61.6%
2017	57.25	249^th	489	49.1%
2018	69.94	158^th	494	68.0%
2019	70.79	147^th	492	70.1%
2021	71.62	114^th	428	73.4%
2022	83.94	44^th	472	90.7%
2023	86.94	43^rd	476	91.0%
2024	84.14	52^nd	480	89.2%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	6.81	195^th	195	0.0%
2019	35.34	152^nd	220	30.9%
2021	45.30	93^rd	173	46.2%
2022	70.38	42^nd	214	80.4%
2023	63.26	63^rd	216	70.8%
2024	69.52	48^th	221	78.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	68.52	98^th	374	73.8%
2019	56.78	159^th	370	57.0%
2021	72.30	45^th	270	83.3%
2022	83.80	24^th	312	92.3%
2023	65.34	112^th	393	71.5%
2024	69.29	100^th	389	74.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	56.74	201^st	395	49.1%
2019	66.48	129^th	401	67.8%
2021	60.53	142^nd	339	58.1%
2022	76.80	60^th	388	84.5%
2023	82.74	45^th	396	88.6%
2024	85.88	36^th	403	91.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	70.11	117^th	398	70.6%
2019	63.41	161^st	411	60.8%
2021	73.32	84^th	351	76.1%
2022	83.11	41^st	403	89.8%
2023	84.49	45^th	398	88.7%
2024	73.08	88^th	405	78.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	29.43	102^nd	132	22.7%
2021	42.87	51^st	101	49.5%
2022	68.41	31^st	135	77.0%
2023	64.37	39^th	136	71.3%
2024	48.97	70^th	145	51.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Perham Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	65.30	156^th	414	62.3%
2019	63.46	156^th	412	62.1%
2021	67.74	107^th	364	70.6%
2022	78.83	47^th	401	88.3%
2023	85.14	35^th	398	91.2%
2024	81.13	49^th	402	87.8%

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 Perham Senior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	597	0	3	1	2	n/a	n/a	603
1989	603	0	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	610
1990	627	0	3	0	5	n/a	n/a	635
1991	650	0	4	2	9	n/a	n/a	665
1992	702	2	4	6	2	n/a	n/a	716
1993	732	0	4	3	11	n/a	n/a	750
1994	754	1	4	3	16	n/a	n/a	778
1995	520	1	2	2	5	n/a	n/a	530
1996	520	1	2	2	5	n/a	n/a	530
1997	578	1	1	2	6	n/a	n/a	588
1998	595	1	1	3	5	n/a	n/a	605
1999	604	0	2	2	4	n/a	n/a	612
2000	614	1	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	622
2001	609	2	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	621
2002	595	4	4	10	2	n/a	n/a	615
2003	595	4	4	10	2	n/a	n/a	615
2004	588	4	7	13	2	n/a	n/a	614
2005	589	5	4	9	2	n/a	n/a	609
2006	555	4	2	15	3	n/a	n/a	579
2007	554	6	0	9	5	n/a	n/a	574
2008	530	6	3	17	5	n/a	n/a	561
2009	496	6	4	20	3	n/a	n/a	529
2010	478	6	3	18	5	n/a	n/a	510
2011	463	4	5	16	2	0	0	490
2012	431	2	2	18	0	0	1	454
2013	425	1	1	18	1	0	2	448
2014	433	3	2	22	2	0	2	464
2015	401	6	2	22	6	0	5	442
2016	394	9	3	22	4	0	7	439
2017	400	12	2	32	7	0	9	462
2018	382	10	0	29	5	0	12	438
2019	389	9	5	44	2	0	16	465
2020	388	8	3	48	0	0	15	462
2021	361	4	4	42	3	0	17	431
2022	388	7	5	50	4	0	14	468
2023	411	7	3	57	11	0	16	505
2024	425	8	5	49	10	0	17	514

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 Perham Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	603	37.8	15.9	21.2
1989	610	35.5	17.1	23.3
1990	635	34.9	18.1	19.2
1991	665	33.6	19.7	23.3
1992	716	40.3	17.7	23.7
1993	750	43.2	17.4	29.1
1994	778	44.6	17.4	26.1
1995	530	32.5	16.3	23.4
1996	530	32.5	16.3	23.4
1997	588	32.7	18.0	19
1998	605	n/a	0.0	18.2
1999	612	35.9	17.0	15.5
2000	622	32.8	19.0	22.2
2001	621	33.5	18.5	22.1
2002	615	34.4	17.9	21.6
2003	615	34.4	17.9	21.6
2004	614	36.8	16.7	25.6
2005	609	33.9	18.0	23.6
2006	579	32.2	18.0	26.4
2007	574	32.5	17.7	29.3
2008	561	31.0	18.1	33.7
2009	529	28.4	18.6	35.3
2010	510	27.9	18.2	34.9
2011	490	26.1	18.7	39.4
2012	454	25.0	18.0	30
2013	448	25.7	17.3	28.1
2014	464	27.2	17.0	26.1
2015	442	28.0	15.7	22.6
2016	439	28.0	15.6	24.6
2017	462	27.8	16.5	22.3
2018	438	27.5	15.9	26.7
2019	465	29.3	15.8	29.5
2020	462	26.9	17.1	30.3
2021	431	26.8	16.0	20.9
2022	468	26.9	17.3	14.7
2023	505	n/a	n/a	35.6
2024	514	25.1	20.4	32.1

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 Perham Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	603	37.8	15.9	21.2
1989	610	35.5	17.1	23.3
1990	635	34.9	18.1	19.2
1991	665	33.6	19.7	23.3
1992	716	40.3	17.7	23.7
1993	750	43.2	17.4	29.1
1994	778	44.6	17.4	26.1
1995	530	32.5	16.3	23.4
1996	530	32.5	16.3	23.4
1997	588	32.7	18.0	19
1998	605	n/a	0.0	18.2
1999	612	35.9	17.0	15.5
2000	622	32.8	19.0	22.2
2001	621	33.5	18.5	22.1
2002	615	34.4	17.9	21.6
2003	615	34.4	17.9	21.6
2004	614	36.8	16.7	25.6
2005	609	33.9	18.0	23.6
2006	579	32.2	18.0	26.4
2007	574	32.5	17.7	29.3
2008	561	31.0	18.1	33.7
2009	529	28.4	18.6	35.3
2010	510	27.9	18.2	34.9
2011	490	26.1	18.7	39.4
2012	454	25.0	18.0	30
2013	448	25.7	17.3	28.1
2014	464	27.2	17.0	26.1
2015	442	28.0	15.7	22.6
2016	439	28.0	15.6	24.6
2017	462	27.8	16.5	22.3
2018	438	27.5	15.9	26.7
2019	465	29.3	15.8	29.5
2020	462	26.9	17.1	30.3
2021	431	26.8	16.0	20.9
2022	468	26.9	17.3	14.7
2023	505	n/a	n/a	35.6
2024	514	25.1	20.4	32.1

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Perham Senior High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,207

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Perham Senior High

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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 147^th of 492 High schools	Ranks 43^rd of 476 High schools	20.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Reading (Perham Senior High)	61.9	58.8	3.1%
10th Grade Reading (Perham-Dent Public School District)	61.9	56.3	5.6%
10th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	60.4	51.7	8.7%
11th Grade Math (Perham Senior High)	43	52	9%
11th Grade Math (Perham-Dent Public School District)	40.8	46.6	5.7%
11th Grade Math (Minnesota)	45	36	9%
End of Course Science (Perham Senior High)	63.5	60.5	3%
End of Course Science (Perham-Dent Public School District)	61.7	58.5	3.1%
End of Course Science (Minnesota)	54.4	41.8	12.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	465	505	8.6%
African American	9	7	22.2%
American Indian	2	11	450%
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	44	57	29.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	389	411	5.7%
Two or More Races	16	16
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29.5%	35.6%	6.2%

Schools Near Perham Senior High

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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	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
Perham Area Learning Center	Public	9-12	800 Coney Street West	Perham	56573	Otter Tail County	Perham-Dent Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 346-6502	48	3	14.1	52.1%	26 (54.2%)	1 (2.1%)	14 (29.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.2%)								(n/a)			0.0	0.0								$14,714
Perham Senior High	Public	9-12	800 Coney Street West	Perham	56573	Otter Tail County	Perham-Dent Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 346-6500	514	25	20.4	32.1%	425 (82.7%)	8 (1.6%)	49 (9.5%)	5 (1.0%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.3%)	84.1	52^nd of 480 public high schools	89.2%		86.9	43^rd of 476 public high schools	91.0%	9			49.0	49.0			58.7	58.7		57.8	57.8	$11,207
Frazee Secondary	Public	7-12	305 N Lake St	Frazee	56544	Becker County	Frazee-Vergas Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 334-3181	388	23	16.5	43.8%	325 (83.8%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.2%)	23.2	379^th of 480 public high schools	21.0%		43.8	284^th of 476 public high schools	40.3%	95	13.1	34.9	20.0	21.6	26.2	41.3	27.5	31.0	31.9	25.0	28.3	$12,823
New York Mills Secondary	Public	7-12	209 N Hayes Ave	New York Mills	56567	Otter Tail County	New York Mills Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 385-4211	335	25	13.4	46.9%	314 (93.7%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	88.8	30^th of 480 public high schools	93.8%		75	97^th of 476 public high schools	79.6%	67	57.9	52.7	56.9	55.5	50.0	46.0	63.5	52.2	37.8	56.9	45.6	$12,055
Detroit Lakes Senior High	Public	9-12	1301 Roosevelt Ave	Detroit Lakes	56501	Becker County	Detroit Lakes Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 847-4491	851	54	15.6	37.7%	652 (76.6%)	8 (0.9%)	24 (2.8%)	6 (0.7%)	129 (15.2%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.6%)	77.8	87^th of 480 public high schools	81.9%		79.9	77^th of 476 public high schools	83.8%	10			43.7	43.7			60.3	60.3		46.6	46.6	$13,724
Henning Secondary	Public	7-12	500 School Ave	Henning	56551	Otter Tail County	Henning Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 583-2927	165	9	19.1	49.1%	147 (89.1%)	2 (1.2%)	6 (3.6%)	2 (1.2%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.0%)	73.4	118^th of 480 public high schools	75.4%		67.7	145^th of 476 public high schools	69.5%	27	17.1	28.6	35.0	25.3	40.0	53.6	66.7	53.5	14.3	41.7	29.7	$13,709
Laker Transitions	Public	12	1104 West River Road	Detroit Lakes	56501	Becker County	Detroit Lakes Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 844-4760	11	3	3.7	72.7%	7 (63.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (27.3%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Perham Senior High

Perham Senior High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Perham-Dent Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Perham Senior High

Rank History for all students at Perham Senior High

Rank History for Special Education students at Perham Senior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Perham Senior High

Rank History for Female students at Perham Senior High

Rank History for Male students at Perham Senior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Perham Senior High

Rank History for White students at Perham Senior High

Enrollment information for Perham Senior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Perham Senior High

Student/Teacher Ratio Perham Senior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Perham Senior High

Impact of COVID-19 on Perham Senior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Perham Senior High

Perham Area Learning Center