The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Friendship Academy of the Arts
Friendship Academy of the Arts is a small K-8 charter district in Minneapolis, operating within Hennepin County. Because it serves only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The district is composed of two schools that have recently undergone a significant organizational change.
The student body is small and almost entirely Black, with very small shares of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students. Enrollment is concentrated in the lower grades, with fewer students in seventh and eighth grade. The school’s name signals a focus on the arts, but specific program offerings are not detailed in the available data.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show low proficiency rates across math and English language arts in most tested grades. In math, the share of students meeting state standards is in the single digits or low double digits through every grade from third to eighth. In reading, the pattern is similar, with a modestly higher rate in eighth grade but still under half of students reaching the proficient level. Science results are available for fifth grade only, where the proficiency rate is very low; eighth-grade science results were suppressed due to low testing counts. A parent may want to discuss the school’s academic support strategies and how it plans to address these outcomes.
Compared with other districts across Hennepin County, Friendship Academy’s overall proficiency, combining all tested subjects and grades, falls below the county midpoint. Chronic absenteeism, a measure of students missing substantial amounts of school, is above the midpoint for the county, meaning the rate is higher than in many neighboring districts. Per-pupil spending is in the middle range among Hennepin County districts, near the upper half of that range.
A recent consolidation is a major logistical factor for families. According to publicly reported information, the district operated two separate sites from 2020 to 2025: a primary site serving kindergarten through first grade and an intermediate site serving second through eighth grade. In 2025, all grade levels were brought together at a single location. This change simplifies the daily routine for families who previously had children at the primary site and the intermediate site separately.
The academic environment is one in which a large majority of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks. For a family considering this school, understanding the school’s approach to instruction, intervention, and enrichment would be essential. The peer environment is shaped by a student population that is nearly all Black, reflecting the community the school serves. The school’s size is small enough that students are likely to receive individual attention, but the test results suggest that the school is still working to move the needle on core academic skills. The recent consolidation may affect staffing, facilities, and program coherence as the district adjusts to a unified campus. There is no available data on special education or English learner populations, so a parent should ask directly about supports for students with these needs. The overall picture is that of a small charter with a stated arts focus that is facing significant academic challenges and a recent structural change that families will want to understand firsthand.
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