Original Research by School Decision on Community of Peace Academy High Sch
Community of Peace Academy High School, a charter school in Saint Paul, operates in the eastern reaches of the Twin Cities metro area. The school sits in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood, a diverse residential area near the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 61. Saint Paul itself is Minnesota’s capital, a city of government offices, river bluffs, and layered neighborhoods. Its population is notably mixed, with large Asian, Black, and Hispanic communities alongside a White plurality, and the school’s own enrollment mirrors that diversity. The city’s housing market, measured across the broader zip code, shows home values below the national median and rents that have risen modestly, making this part of the metro more accessible than many. The school is a small high school, serving only ninth through twelfth graders. Its enrollment reflects the community around it: the largest groups are Asian students, followed by Hispanic and Black students, with a much smaller White population and a handful of multiracial students. A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling that this is a school serving many families with lower household incomes. Because it is a charter school, it operates independently of the larger Saint Paul Public Schools district, though it draws its students from the same city. The school was recognized publicly as a National School of Character in recent years, a distinction that speaks to an intentional focus on social-emotional learning and school climate, though details of those programs were not part of the data provided. On state assessments, the school’s results are mixed in a way that warrants a closer look. In English language arts, about two out of every five students met or exceeded the state’s proficiency bar. In math, the rate was lower, with fewer than one in five students reaching that mark. These are single-year snapshots, meaning there is no multi-year trend to say whether scores are improving or declining. For a high school, the critical metric is the graduation rate, but that data was not available in the materials reviewed. A parent or resident looking at this school should ask for it directly, as it is a key indicator of whether students who enroll stay through to a diploma. The school itself offers no programming data, so there is no public account of Advanced Placement courses, career and technical education pathways, or dual-credit options. That does not mean those do not exist, only that they were not reported in the data. In the classroom, the school is small. That small size means students are likely to get more individual attention than they would at a large comprehensive high school, but it also means a thinner menu of electives and advanced courses unless the school has built partnerships or a focused curriculum. Chronic absenteeism data was also absent, which is a common concern in high-poverty high schools; a parent may want to know how many students miss classes regularly. Disciplinary data was not provided either. The school is part of Ramsey County, and when placed among the county’s many districts, there was not enough comparable data to position it on proficiency, graduation, or absenteeism. The county contains a wide range of schools, from affluent suburban districts to urban schools with high concentrations of poverty, so any comparison would need a lot of context. Community of Peace Academy High School is best understood as a small urban charter serving a low-income, diverse student body. Its state test scores in English show modest success, while math scores are a soft spot that a family should explore further with the school, particularly around how the school supports students who are behind. The school’s character education emphasis may appeal to families looking for a school that prioritizes climate and relationships over a broad academic menu. But with no graduation rate, no program offerings on record, and no trend data on test scores, the public information is thinner than it should be for an informed decision. A family moving into Saint Paul with a high school student would want to visit, ask about the school’s graduation outcomes, and see how it prepares students for college or work after twelfth grade.
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