Is Pine River-Backus Elementary a good school?

Pine River-Backus Elementary ranks 530 th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pine River-Backus Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 477 students attended Pine River-Backus Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pine River-Backus Elementary?

Students at Pine River-Backus Elementary are 91% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Pine River-Backus Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pine River-Backus Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Pine River-Backus High School

Pine River-Backus Elementary

Summary:

Pine River-Backus Elementary is a public elementary school serving 477 students in grades PK-6 in Pine River, Minnesota, which is part of the Pine River-Backus School District.

The school has a predominantly white student population, with over 92% of students identifying as white, which is higher than the nearby Crosslake Community Seat Based school (92.2% white) and Eagle View Elementary (95.84% white). However, the school's test scores on the MCA-III assessments are generally below the state averages, particularly in math, and it has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at 69.81%, significantly higher than the nearby Crosslake Community Seat Based school (51.06%) and Eagle View Elementary (39.27%). On the positive side, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.5 students per teacher.

Over the past several years, Pine River-Backus Elementary's statewide ranking has been declining, from 485 out of 853 Minnesota elementary schools in 2016-2017 to 530 out of 881 in 2023-2024. However, the school's special education students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds perform better than the school's overall performance, while the school's white students and male students perform worse. Compared to the nearby Crosslake Community Seat Based school and Eagle View Elementary, Pine River-Backus Elementary has lower test scores in both math and reading, but a higher percentage of students from low-income families.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

401 Murray Ave
Pine River, MN 56474-8888

(218) 587-4447

District: Pine River-Backus School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
530^th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,652

Students who attend Pine River-Backus Elementary usually attend:

High:

Pine River-Backus High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.1

Number of students: 477

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.4%

Two or more races:

4.4%

Hispanic:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.6%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Pine River-Backus Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pine River-Backus Elementary ranks worse than 60.2% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.89. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.4%), two or more races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pine River-Backus Elementary is 12.1. (See more...)

Compare Pine River-Backus Elementary employs 39.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pine River-Backus Elementary is $11,652.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pine River-Backus Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pine River-Backus Elementary 530^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Pine River-Backus Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Pine River-Backus School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Pine River-Backus School District 323^rd of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pine River-Backus Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	62.12	274^th	674	59.3%
2004	66.52	222^nd	676	67.2%
2005	59.96	302^nd	685	55.9%
2006	48.72	475^th	756	37.2%
2007	36.43	626^th	777	19.4%
2008	37.60	610^th	781	21.9%
2010	44.92	578^th	803	28.0%
2011	53.55	471^st	814	42.1%
2012	56.95	444^th	820	45.9%
2013	31.33	651^st	824	21.0%
2014	30.03	660^th	826	20.1%
2015	37.08	617^th	840	26.5%
2016	44.69	563^rd	848	33.6%
2017	52.26	485^th	853	43.1%
2018	46.07	542^nd	847	36.0%
2019	45.63	560^th	870	35.6%
2021	42.37	581^st	869	33.1%
2022	39.73	589^th	858	31.4%
2023	42.71	554^th	845	34.4%
2024	46.89	530^th	881	39.8%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	29.89	332^nd	463	28.3%
2019	58.61	202^nd	515	60.8%
2021	50.25	199^th	417	52.3%
2022	42.06	310^th	500	38.0%
2023	48.61	262^nd	524	50.0%
2024	35.80	389^th	572	32.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	52.37	378^th	728	48.1%
2019	55.61	335^th	740	54.7%
2021	55.62	310^th	683	54.6%
2022	49.79	341^st	663	48.6%
2023	56.39	337^th	774	56.5%
2024	55.08	355^th	793	55.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	47.86	481^st	774	37.9%
2019	35.58	578^th	787	26.6%
2021	37.10	565^th	783	27.8%
2022	43.67	507^th	799	36.5%
2023	38.61	538^th	787	31.6%
2024	44.84	500^th	809	38.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	42.48	532^nd	779	31.7%
2019	52.44	448^th	798	43.9%
2021	45.00	509^th	784	35.1%
2022	33.45	603^rd	808	25.4%
2023	45.42	487^th	799	39.0%
2024	45.50	498^th	826	39.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	23.68	628^th	712	11.8%
2019	22.41	644^th	722	10.8%
2021	18.09	654^th	710	7.9%
2022	19.41	654^th	725	9.8%
2023	20.98	634^th	712	11.0%
2024	25.65	608^th	730	16.7%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary 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 Pine River-Backus Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1993	493	6	0	1	10	n/a	n/a	510
1994	506	1	0	1	11	n/a	n/a	519
1995	485	0	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	493
1996	485	0	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	493
1997	484	0	0	2	5	n/a	n/a	491
1998	460	0	0	2	5	n/a	n/a	467
1999	460	1	1	2	4	n/a	n/a	468
2000	442	1	1	6	8	n/a	n/a	458
2001	404	2	2	6	3	n/a	n/a	417
2002	388	3	6	2	3	n/a	n/a	402
2003	388	3	6	2	3	n/a	n/a	402
2004	353	7	5	3	6	n/a	n/a	374
2005	356	7	5	1	8	n/a	n/a	377
2006	347	12	4	1	7	n/a	n/a	371
2007	426	16	3	3	8	n/a	n/a	456
2008	432	12	3	2	7	n/a	n/a	456
2009	424	12	4	1	5	n/a	n/a	446
2010	419	14	5	1	7	n/a	n/a	446
2011	437	10	5	6	5	1	0	464
2012	429	10	4	5	8	2	1	459
2013	446	9	4	4	8	2	2	475
2014	458	10	3	10	8	2	3	494
2015	490	11	1	4	8	2	3	519
2016	494	8	2	2	4	2	7	519
2017	527	6	2	2	1	1	6	545
2018	520	6	2	7	2	1	9	547
2019	503	1	2	6	3	0	11	526
2020	500	2	4	8	4	0	15	533
2021	434	2	5	10	3	0	15	469
2022	459	2	5	9	6	0	21	502
2023	439	1	4	9	4	0	20	477
2024	436	2	3	10	5	0	21	477

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 Pine River-Backus Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	510	35.7	14.3	54.5
1994	519	37.1	14.0	54.1
1995	493	26.9	18.3	52.9
1996	493	26.9	18.3	52.9
1997	491	29.4	16.7	49.1
1998	467	n/a	0.0	47.8
1999	468	32.4	14.4	50.4
2000	458	31.3	14.6	55.2
2001	417	32.1	13.0	55.4
2002	402	31.6	12.7	55.5
2003	402	31.6	12.7	55.5
2004	374	28.6	13.1	58.8
2005	377	27.3	13.8	65.3
2006	371	25.3	14.7	60.4
2007	456	26.4	17.3	60.5
2008	456	31.4	14.5	62.5
2009	446	33.0	13.5	66.6
2010	446	32.5	13.6	70.6
2011	464	33.3	13.9	67.5
2012	459	34.3	13.3	67.5
2013	475	35.5	13.3	69.3
2014	494	37.0	13.3	69
2015	519	40.0	12.9	67.4
2016	519	39.0	13.3	63.8
2017	545	37.9	14.3	56
2018	547	40.0	13.6	55.9
2019	526	40.0	13.1	53
2020	533	38.9	13.6	54
2021	469	37.2	12.6	45.2
2022	502	38.8	12.9	46.6
2023	477	37.8	12.5	69.8
2024	477	39.1	12.1	68.6

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 Pine River-Backus Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	510	35.7	14.3	54.5
1994	519	37.1	14.0	54.1
1995	493	26.9	18.3	52.9
1996	493	26.9	18.3	52.9
1997	491	29.4	16.7	49.1
1998	467	n/a	0.0	47.8
1999	468	32.4	14.4	50.4
2000	458	31.3	14.6	55.2
2001	417	32.1	13.0	55.4
2002	402	31.6	12.7	55.5
2003	402	31.6	12.7	55.5
2004	374	28.6	13.1	58.8
2005	377	27.3	13.8	65.3
2006	371	25.3	14.7	60.4
2007	456	26.4	17.3	60.5
2008	456	31.4	14.5	62.5
2009	446	33.0	13.5	66.6
2010	446	32.5	13.6	70.6
2011	464	33.3	13.9	67.5
2012	459	34.3	13.3	67.5
2013	475	35.5	13.3	69.3
2014	494	37.0	13.3	69
2015	519	40.0	12.9	67.4
2016	519	39.0	13.3	63.8
2017	545	37.9	14.3	56
2018	547	40.0	13.6	55.9
2019	526	40.0	13.1	53
2020	533	38.9	13.6	54
2021	469	37.2	12.6	45.2
2022	502	38.8	12.9	46.6
2023	477	37.8	12.5	69.8
2024	477	39.1	12.1	68.6

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 Pine River-Backus Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,652

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pine River-Backus Elementary

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 560^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 554^th of 845 Elementary schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	66.7	70.8	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Pine River-Backus School District)	66.7	70.8	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	52.8	49.3	3.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus School District)	52.8	49.3	3.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	66.1	43.2	23%
4th Grade Math (Pine River-Backus School District)	66.1	43.2	23%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	53.2	47.7	5.5%
4th Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus School District)	53.2	47.7	5.5%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%
5th Grade Math (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	40.8	25	15.8%
5th Grade Math (Pine River-Backus School District)	40.8	25	15.8%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	58.2	50.8	7.5%
5th Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus School District)	58.2	50.8	7.5%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	51.9	39.7	12.2%
5th Grade Science (Pine River-Backus School District)	51.9	39.7	12.2%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%
6th Grade Math (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	35.3	11.1	24.2%
6th Grade Math (Pine River-Backus School District)	35.3	11.1	24.2%
6th Grade Math (Minnesota)	50.5	39.7	10.8%
6th Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus Elementary)	52.9	40.7	12.2%
6th Grade Reading (Pine River-Backus School District)	52.9	40.7	12.2%
6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	62.8	53.4	9.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	526	477	9.3%
African American	1	1
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	2	4	100%
Hispanic	6	9	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	503	439	12.7%
Two or More Races	11	20	81.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	53%	69.8%	16.8%

Schools Near Pine River-Backus Elementary

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 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Pine River-Backus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	401 Murray Ave	Pine River	56474	Cass County	Pine River-Backus School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 587-4447	477	39	12.1	68.6%	436 (91.4%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (2.1%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	46.9	530^th of 881 public elementary schools	39.8%		42.7	554^th of 845 public elementary schools	34.4%	24	70.0	58.3	25.5	20.3		44.4	50.0	48.6	48.9	33.3		44.8	44.7	44.7	$11,652
Eagle View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6539 County Rd 11	Breezy Point	56472	Crow Wing County	Pequot Lakes Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 562-6100	588	43	13.5	41.5%	564 (95.9%)	5 (0.9%)	11 (1.9%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	81.8	124^th of 881 public elementary schools	85.9%		80.3	138^th of 845 public elementary schools	83.7%	14	70.9	72.2				71.6	62.2	62.2				62.2			$10,458
Crosslake Community Seat Based	Public, Charter	K-8	35808 County Rd 66	Crosslake	56442	Crow Wing County	Crosslake Community Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 692-5437	153	18	8.6	43.8%	137 (89.5%)	5 (3.3%)	5 (3.3%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	47.2	527^th of 881 public elementary schools	40.2%		49	495^th of 845 public elementary schools	41.4%	32	26.1	50.0	14.3	40.0	36.4	33.7	21.7	55.6	78.6	70.0	63.6	51.8	71.4	55.0	$12,610
Crosslake Community K-5 Online	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-5	35808 County Road 66	Crosslake	56442	Crow Wing County	Crosslake Community Charter School	Yes	No	Yes	No	(218) 537-3623	24	2	11.7	66.7%	18 (75.0%)	2 (8.3%)	3 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.2%)								(n/a)
Nisswa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	5533 Lakers Lane	Nisswa	56468	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 961-6860	255	21	12.3	29.8%	235 (92.2%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)	79.7	147^th of 881 public elementary schools	83.3%		74.2	215^th of 845 public elementary schools	74.6%	68	77.1	66.7				71.6	62.5	57.4				59.8			$12,324

Pine River-Backus Elementary

Pine River-Backus Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Pine River-Backus School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rank History for all students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rank History for White students at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Enrollment information for Pine River-Backus Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pine River-Backus Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Pine River-Backus Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pine River-Backus Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Pine River-Backus Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Pine River-Backus Elementary