Original Research by School Decision on Mn Correctional Facility-stillwater
MN Correctional Facility–Stillwater is not a conventional high school. It is an alternative school operating inside a state correctional facility in Bayport, a small river city on the St. Croix River just south of Stillwater. The school serves grades nine through twelve, making it the educational arm for incarcerated juveniles and young adults held at the facility. The district that oversees it is the Minnesota Department of Corrections, not a local public school district, so it sits entirely outside the structure families typically navigate when choosing a school.
The enrollment is very small. A handful of students attend, and the grade distribution shows that nearly all of them are in twelfth grade, with one in eleventh grade. The student body is predominantly Black, with a much smaller share of white and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the incarcerated population's circumstances. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is missing from the available record.
State testing results are not reported for this school. The same is true for the four-year graduation rate and chronic absenteeism. These gaps are not unusual for a correctional-facility school, where standard accountability metrics often do not apply in the same way they do for a neighborhood high school. A parent or resident reading this should understand that the school's purpose is to provide education in a custodial setting, not to compete on conventional academic benchmarks. No AP courses, career pathways, or dual-credit programs appear in the available data.
The wider community context matters for understanding the setting. Bayport is a compact city of modest size, with industrial roots in lumber and manufacturing. The Andersen Corporation, the window and patio door manufacturer, is headquartered here and is the dominant employer. The Minnesota Correctional Facility–Stillwater itself has long been a major institution in Bayport; it is slated to close in 2029, which will open a large site for redevelopment and represents a significant shift for the city. Housing values in the area place it roughly near the national benchmark and above the state benchmark, indicating a relatively expensive market. The city has a historic downtown, a marina, parks, and community events, but its economic and social life is shaped by the correctional facility's presence.
Because this school is part of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, it does not draw from any particular residential attendance zone. Families in Bayport send their children to schools in the Stillwater Area School District, which operates separate elementary and secondary schools. This correctional facility school serves a distinct population that is not the local resident student body. Anyone looking for academic performance data or program offerings for their own child will need to look at the district's conventional schools. For the small number of young people held at the facility, the school provides a state-mandated education in an environment that is fundamentally different from any open-enrollment public school.
See more original research from School Decision →