The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on New City School
New City School is a single-school district in Hennepin County, Minnesota, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. Because it is a K-8 district and does not operate a high school, there is no four-year graduation rate to report. This is not a missing number; it simply does not apply. The district is a charter school, which means it operates independently of the local traditional school district and is open to any student in the state who chooses to attend.
The school is small, with an enrollment that fits its K-8 grade band. Its student body is majority white, with a substantial Black student population, and smaller shares of Hispanic, multiracial, and American Indian students. Free or reduced-price meal data was not available, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the share of students from low-income households.
Academically, New City School shows a pattern that a parent will want to examine closely. On the 2024-25 state assessments, proficiency rates in both math and reading vary by grade level, with no clear upward trend as students get older. In math, the share of students meeting state standards ranges from roughly one-third to just under two-thirds in the early grades, then settles in the range of about one-third to two-fifths in grades four through seven, and drops to a very low level in eighth grade. In reading, the pattern is more stable across grades, with roughly half of students reaching proficiency in most grades, though the eighth-grade reading result is weaker. Science results, reported for fifth and eighth grades, are low, with eighth-grade science particularly soft. On a statewide basis, New City School’s overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Hennepin County’s districts, meaning it performs better than many of its county peers, but still below the top tier.
In the classroom, the school’s chronic absenteeism rate is high. This measure, which tracks students who miss a substantial portion of the school year, places New City below the midpoint among county districts, meaning a larger share of students are chronically absent than in many neighboring districts. A parent may want to ask the school what programs or supports exist to address attendance. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range compared to other county districts, which could affect the resources available for staffing, programming, and facilities.
No data was available on disciplinary actions, course access, or staffing ratios, so those dimensions of the school environment remain unexamined here. The district brief search turned up no recent parent-relevant changes, such as boundary adjustments, program closures, or leadership turnover. The school’s profile otherwise appears stable.
New City School serves a single campus and draws its students from across its charter’s enrollment area. For a family considering this school, the key questions are about fit. It offers a K-8 experience in a small setting, with an academic record that sits in the middle of the county pack but shows soft spots in middle school and especially in eighth grade science and math. The attendance challenge is real and worth discussing with the school. The student body is diverse, though not as economically diverse as some urban districts, and the governance as a charter gives the school more operational flexibility than a traditional district school. A family looking for a tight-knit K-8 charter with a mix of students and middling test results may find it a reasonable option; one seeking strong middle school outcomes or low absenteeism would want to ask harder questions.
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