The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hga Junior High
HGA Junior High is a charter school in Saint Paul serving only sixth and seventh grade. It belongs to the Higher Ground Academy district, which appears to be a single-school charter organization. The school’s directory listing identifies it as a new school, and its enrollment is small. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a very high concentration of poverty that families should be aware of will shape the peer environment. The student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a tiny number of White students; no other racial or ethnic groups are represented in the reported data.
The school’s academic performance rests on one year of state test results, so there is no trend to examine yet. In reading, roughly half of students at each grade level met state proficiency standards. That figure is moderate and, when combined with math results, places the school’s overall proficiency index above the midpoint among the many districts in Ramsey County. In math, however, the proficiency rate is low in both grades. A parent considering this school would want to ask the administration about the math curriculum, intervention supports, and how the school plans to address that gap.
Because HGA Junior High does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is missing from the available records, as are figures on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and course access. For a new school, some of these gaps may simply reflect the time needed to establish reporting systems; a family should still request this information directly.
The school is located on Marshall Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s capital and second-largest city. Saint Paul is a dense, walkable city with a strong public transit network, a nationally ranked park system, and a mix of government offices, cultural institutions, and professional sports venues. The housing market in the zip code shows home values around the middle range for the Twin Cities metro area, and rents have been rising modestly. The city’s economy is anchored by state and county government employment, and the population is notably diverse, with large White, Asian (including a substantial Hmong community), Black, and Hispanic populations. That broader diversity is not reflected in this school’s enrollment, which is highly concentrated by race and income.
The district itself, Higher Ground Academy, did not yield any publicly reported recent changes that would affect families. This is common for a small charter organization that may not issue regular public updates beyond statutory filings. A parent should plan to gather information directly from the school’s website or by speaking with the principal.
Overall, HGA Junior High offers a small, focused middle-school experience in a charter setting. Its reading results are respectable relative to others in Ramsey County, but its math scores are a clear soft spot. The school serves a student population that is nearly all low-income and almost entirely Black, a fact that may be a draw for families seeking a culturally affirming environment or a concern for those wanting more socioeconomic diversity. The lack of data on special populations, discipline, and attendance means any family considering this school should push for those details before making a decision. The school is new, so there is little track record to evaluate; early adopters will be shaping the school’s culture and outcomes.
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