The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 1% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kipp North Star Academy
KIPP North Star Academy is a public charter school in Minneapolis serving grades five through eight. It is one of two schools within the KIPP Minnesota Charter School district. The school is small in enrollment for a middle school, and grade-level groups are similarly sized. The student body is predominantly Black, with a very high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This composition reflects the school’s location in a densely populated, economically diverse city and its charter mission.
State test results for the most recent school year show very low proficiency rates across all subjects and grades tested. In mathematics, the share of students meeting proficiency standards was near zero at every grade level. In English language arts, proficiency was higher but still well below half, with the highest rate seen at grade six and the lowest at grade eight. Science results were similarly low. The proficiency index, which averages all tested subjects and grades, places KIPP North Star Academy in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Hennepin County. Only one year of data is available in the trend, so it is not possible to see whether scores have changed over time. The state’s assessment also underwent a name change and cut-score adjustment in science, which means comparisons to prior years may not be directly comparable.
The school’s district has undergone significant change. Publicly reported data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that KIPP Minnesota Charter School operated four schools in the 2023-2024 school year and two schools in 2024-2025, with a corresponding drop in total enrollment across the district. This consolidation directly affects families choosing the school, as the range of available sites and grade spans within the district has narrowed. Parents should confirm current operations and any plans for further changes with the district office.
Because KIPP North Star Academy serves only middle grades, no high school graduation rate or college readiness metrics are available. The data also does not include chronic absenteeism rates, special education enrollment, English learner counts, discipline statistics, or course offerings. A parent evaluating academic support programs or extracurricular access would need to ask the school directly.
The school is located in Minneapolis, a large urban center with a dense, gridded street pattern, an extensive park and lake system, and a strong downtown commercial and cultural core. The city is home to major employers including Target Corporation, the University of Minnesota, and the Federal Reserve Bank, as well as numerous arts institutions and professional sports venues. Home values in the school’s immediate zip code area are moderate compared to the statewide median, and rents are consistent with a large metro market. The broader economic context shows a stable unemployment rate and a pattern of modest population change since 2020.
Who this school fits: families seeking a small, charter middle school in an urban setting with a student body that is overwhelmingly Black and low-income may find a coherent peer community here. The very low state test scores are a soft spot that a parent should investigate further with the school—understanding curriculum, instruction, and any interventions in place matters more here than at schools with higher reported proficiency. The district’s recent consolidation is an additional factor worth verifying. For a family that prioritizes a supportive, mission-driven charter environment over measured academic outcomes on state assessments, this school could still be a viable option, but the data suggests that typical academic performance is well below the county median.
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