The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in Math. The lowest is 18% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Glacial Hills Elementary
Glacial Hills Elementary is a charter school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, located in the small lake community of Starbuck in Pope County. It is a single-school charter district, meaning the school and the district are the same entity, a structure that gives its leaders direct control over curriculum and operations without a traditional district office above them.
The school enrolls a small student body, predominantly white, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a regular public school operating under a charter, not a magnet or alternative school, and it serves the full range of children in its attendance area within the standard grade band.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed and somewhat uneven by grade level. In mathematics, proficiency rates varied widely across the grades that took the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. Fourth grade showed a strong result, with most students meeting the bar, and sixth grade also posted a solid proficiency rate. But third and fifth grade reported results that were well below those levels, a pattern that a parent would want to understand better by talking with the school about instructional continuity, class composition, or other factors affecting those particular grades. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: fourth grade again showed a moderate proficiency rate, and sixth grade landed in a similar range, while third and fifth grade results were very low. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed in the state data, so no assessment picture is available for that subject and grade. Across all tested grades and subjects combined, the school's overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Pope County a comparison that involves only two districts in the county, which means the range is narrow and a bottom-quartile placement here should not be read the same as it would in a larger comparison set.
No chronic absenteeism data or graduation rate data was available, but the latter is expected for a school that serves only through sixth grade. Information on staffing, discipline, course access, and special population counts for special education or English learners was also absent from the data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about class sizes, support services, and how the school identifies and serves students who need extra help.
Starbuck itself is a compact, primarily residential community on the western shore of Lake Minnewaska, the thirteenth largest lake in Minnesota. The town has a modest Main Street commercial core, a marina, and a calendar of seasonal community events including a summer farmers market, Heritage Days, and a Parade of Lights. Housing values in the area are below the state median, reflecting the rural setting. The town is experiencing slow, steady population growth. The school sits within this community, and for families living in Starbuck or the surrounding area, it is the local elementary option that feeds into the Minnewaska Area Schools for upper grades, though Glacial Hills is its own charter district and not formally part of that district. No information was found about recent district-level changes, initiatives, or strategic priorities, so the reader should expect a stable operational environment with no publicly reported shifts in programming or leadership.
See more original research from School Decision →