New Prague Area Schools, MN

Original Research by School Decision on New Prague Area Schools

New Prague Area Schools serves roughly four thousand students across a set of schools in Scott County, Minnesota, the core of which is the city of New Prague. The district covers a wide, largely rural area that includes smaller communities like Elko New Market, Lonsdale, and Belle Plaine. Housing values in these towns vary meaningfully. New Prague proper sits near the middle of that range, while some of the more outlying zip codes, particularly in the unincorporated areas east and south, show higher home values. Rents are modest and track the state average. The district is large enough to run a comprehensive program but small enough that a family moving in can get a clear picture of who the schools serve.

Academically, the district performs at a level that places its overall proficiency index comfortably above the midpoint among Scott County's districts, in the top quartile of the eight districts used for comparison. The proficiency data is strongest in the lower elementary grades for math, where the share of students meeting the state bar in third grade is solid and competitive. As students move up, math rates hold in a range that is generally above the county median, though the fifth-grade year shows a drop relative to the pattern. English language arts results sit near or just below the district’s own math numbers across most grade levels, with the best showing in sixth and eighth grades. Science results, which are tested at grades five and eight, are notably lower in both years. A parent should note that the state changed its science assessment and cut scores for the year these data come from, so those numbers may not be directly comparable to prior years. It is not unusual for a shift in test design to depress the immediate proficiency rate, and a parent curious about science programming might want to ask the school directly how curriculum and instruction have evolved alongside the new test.

The student body is predominantly white, which is consistent with the demographics of the towns the district serves. There are small shares of Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Black students. The district’s free and reduced-price lunch rate, a common proxy for economic disadvantage, was not available in the data. That is a gap a parent may want to fill by asking the district office, as it can affect the peer context for a given school. Special education and English learner counts were also missing, so the overall picture of student support needs is incomplete.

The district runs a full pre-K through twelfth grade system, with multiple elementary buildings, a middle school, and a senior high, plus an alternative Compass Learning Center and credit recovery programs for older students. This range suggests the district can handle students who need an alternative path, whether for the short term or long term. Chronic absenteeism, a measure of students missing a substantial share of school days, is at a rate that places the district above the midpoint of the county’s districts. That is a soft spot worth noting, though the number is not the highest in the county. Per-pupil spending falls in the lower half of the county’s middle range, which is consistent with a relatively efficient operation in a district that does not have many of the concentrated poverty or language-learner costs that drive spending higher elsewhere.

The district brief turned up little in the way of recent, lasting changes like a referendum, a boundary shift, or a curriculum overhaul. New Prague Area Schools appears to be operating from a stable foundation without a major disruption or new initiative that would upend expectations. For a family looking for a solid, middle-of-the-pack suburban and exurban district in the Twin Cities orbit, with strong elementary math and a high school that offers a full slate of programming, this fits the profile. A parent concerned about the science dip or the missing economic data should reach out to the district to get a fuller picture before making a choice.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,072

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 3%

Black 1%

White 91%

Asian 1%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

37%

54%

Gr 4

29%

50%

Gr 5

39%

50%

Gr 6

51%

60%

Gr 7

53%

55%

Gr 8

49%

56%

Math

Gr 3

60%

70%

Gr 4

44%

65%

Gr 5

34%

50%

Gr 6

45%

60%

Gr 7

58%

66%

Gr 8

43%

65%

Science

Gr 5

10%

21%

Gr 8

28%

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

FALCON RIDGE

NEW PRAGUE MIDDLE SCHOOL

NEW PRAGUE SENIOR HIGH

RAVEN STREAM ELEMENTARY

EAGLE VIEW

CENTRAL EDUCATION CAMPUS

NEW PRAGUE SUMMER CREDIT RECOVERY

Compass Learning Center

NEW PRAGUE CREDIT RECOVERY

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

68%

Grade 3

62%

Grade 4

47%

Grade 5

58%

Grade 6

65%

Grade 7

61%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

51%

Grade 3

47%

Grade 4

48%

Grade 5

59%

Grade 6

54%

Grade 7

55%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

19%

Grade 5

24%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$452,699

Year-over-year change+3.5%

Range across 12 ZIP codes$319K to $589K

vs. state typical1.29x

vs. national typical1.23x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (12 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
56071	New Prague	$423K	+2.8%	47.9%
55088		$589K	+8.4%	15.5%
55020	Elko New Market	$525K	+3.0%	9.7%
55046	Lonsdale	$371K	+2.6%	8.4%
56011	Belle Plaine	$353K	+2.2%	5.2%
55352	Jordan	$438K	+1.6%	5.2%
55372	Prior Lake	$523K	+2.0%	2.9%
56057	Le Center	$319K	+2.9%	2.7%
55044	Lakeville	$517K	+0.6%	1.5%
55054	Elko New Market	$437K	+1.1%	0.6%
56069	Montgomery	$325K	+2.0%	0.4%
55057	Northfield	$391K	+2.7%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,940/mo

Year-over-year change+2.8%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,701 to $1,973/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
55372	Prior Lake	$1,929	+3.1%	2.9%
55044	Lakeville	$1,973	+2.2%	1.5%
55057	Northfield	$1,701	—	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,284/mo

Home price / national median income5.4x

Annual rent / national median income27.8%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$345/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$350,891 (+2.9% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.