The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on St. Paul City Middle School
St. Paul City Middle School is a charter school serving grades six through eight in Saint Paul, Minnesota's capital and the eastern half of the Twin Cities metro area. It operates as a regular public school but under a charter, meaning it is publicly funded but independently managed. The school is part of a small charter district called St. Paul City School.
The student body is relatively small for a middle school. The composition is notably diverse and reflects the broader demographics of Saint Paul, a city known for its large Hmong, Black, and Hispanic populations. Hispanic students form the largest share, followed by Black and Asian students; very few White students are enrolled. A substantial majority of the students come from low-income households, as indicated by the share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This economic context is important to note, as it often correlates with additional needs and support structures within a school.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, the school's academic results were well below the midpoint of what is typical across Ramsey County districts. In math, a very small portion of students in each grade met the state's proficiency standard. In English language arts, the share was somewhat larger but still low, with the highest performance seen in sixth grade. Eighth-grade science results showed no students reaching proficiency, though state science assessments underwent changes in both name and cut scores that year, making direct comparisons to prior years uncertain. Only a single year of assessment data was available, so there is no trend to gauge improvement or decline.
When placed against other districts in Ramsey County, the school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. This is a soft performance area that families may want to explore further with the school, particularly if they are looking for strong academic outcomes on standardized measures.
Because the school serves only grades six through eight, it has no graduation rate to report. Data on special education enrollment, English learner status, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not available in the source material. The absence of these indicators means a parent evaluating the school's full support environment would need to ask the school directly about services for students with disabilities, English language development programs, and attendance patterns.
The school is located on University Avenue in Saint Paul, a diverse urban setting. Saint Paul itself is a mix of government buildings, historic neighborhoods, and cultural institutions. The city's park system is nationally recognized, and public transit, including light rail connecting to Minneapolis, runs nearby. Housing values in the area are moderate compared to national benchmarks, and rents have been rising moderately, typical for the Twin Cities region.
The district brief for St. Paul City School did not surface any recent major changes such as leadership turnover or program launches that would be of immediate interest to parents. This may simply reflect that the district is small and quiet in terms of public-facing developments.
For a family considering St. Paul City Middle School, the central characteristic is a small, economically diverse charter middle school set in an urban environment, where state test results are low relative to other schools in the county. The school's charter status gives it some operational flexibility, but the available data does not show whether that has translated into distinctive programming or supports. A prospective parent would benefit from visiting the school, asking about academic interventions, enrichment offerings, and how the school addresses the needs of a student body where many families are navigating economic hardship.
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