The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Modern Montessori Charter School
Modern Montessori Charter School is a single-school public charter district in Hennepin County that serves students from prekindergarten through seventh grade. The school, located in the former Champlin elementary building, opened as a new public charter option combining authentic Montessori education with a STEM emphasis. It operates as a district of its own, governed by its own board rather than by a traditional school district.
The school’s academic results on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, measured across tested grades, place its overall proficiency above the midpoint among Hennepin County’s districts. This is a meaningful strength for a relatively new and small school. However, a look at individual grade-level results shows variation. In reading and math, proficiency rates in the tested grades range widely, with some grades where roughly half of students met the proficient bar and others where the share was closer to a quarter or less. Science results, available only for fifth grade, were lower. Because the school ends at seventh grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report.
The enrollment is small and has grown steadily since opening. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are two or more races, Black, Hispanic, and Asian. Data on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, on students with individualized education plans, and on English learners were not available, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the range of student needs and supports provided.
Chronic absenteeism, a measure of how many students miss a substantial number of school days, is a soft spot. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate is below the midpoint among the county’s districts, meaning it is higher than the typical rate. A family might want to understand how the school tracks attendance and what approaches it uses to keep students engaged.
Per-pupil spending is in the lower range compared with other Hennepin County districts. That does not necessarily indicate a lack of resources; charter schools often operate with different budget structures than traditional districts. The school’s parent-relevant change noted publicly is that it opened in the Champlin elementary building, offering a multiage Montessori classroom model with STEM integration. The school’s website describes an approach that blends Montessori principles with technology instruction, a deliberate departure from Montessori settings that have typically avoided screens.
For a family that values a Montessori pedagogy, a relatively small school community, and a STEM emphasis alongside child-directed learning, Modern Montessori Charter School presents a coherent option. The academic performance, while uneven at the classroom level, holds up well in the broader county comparison. The higher chronic absenteeism and limited publicly available data on student support populations are points worth investigating. Because the school caps at seventh grade, families will also need to plan ahead for middle school transition, as there is no high school pathway within this charter.
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