Great River School, Saint Paul MN

Original Research by School Decision on Great River School

Great River School is a charter school in Saint Paul that serves seventh through twelfth grades. It operates as its own district, a single-school authorizer arrangement typical of many Minnesota charters. The school is housed near Energy Park Drive, in a city that is Minnesota’s capital and second largest, a mix of government offices, dense residential neighborhoods, cultural institutions, and sports venues along the Mississippi River.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows a mixed but notably strong performance in reading. In both seventh and eighth grades, a substantial majority of students met or exceeded the state standard in English language arts. Math proficiency was lower, with fewer than half of tested students reaching that benchmark, and the gap widened between the two grade levels. Science results for eighth graders were the softest spot: about a quarter of students scored proficient. Given that the school covers grades seven through twelve, only these tested grades are reported; high school state assessments are typically taken in later years and were not part of this data set. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, placed it in the top quartile among districts in Ramsey County. This is a strong relative showing, especially for a single school that includes the full middle and high school span. No multi-year trend is available, so it is not possible to say whether performance is improving or declining.

The student body is predominantly White, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. A modest share qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families have lower incomes but the school is not a high-poverty setting by Saint Paul standards. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported, a gap that could be worth exploring with the school directly. The charter structure means there is no assigned attendance zone; families choose to enroll, and the school draws from across the city and perhaps beyond.

Saint Paul itself is a stable, older city with a population that has held fairly steady in recent years. The housing market in the school’s ZIP code reflects the broader metro area: home values are roughly in line with the state median, and rents have been rising moderately. The city’s economy is anchored by state government, county government, and a handful of professional sports venues, with healthcare also important across the Twin Cities region. Residents have access to a park system that ranks high nationally, a downtown with cultural venues like the Science Museum and Ordway Center, and light rail connecting to Minneapolis.

Because Great River School is the only school in its district, there is no district-level administration with priorities separate from the school itself. A search for recent district changes turned up little of lasting impact. This is a standalone school that parents evaluate on its own terms.

The academic picture is one of clear strengths in reading and a relative strength compared to other Ramsey County districts overall, but with math and science results that give a parent something to ask about. The school’s size is what most families would consider moderate for a combined middle and high school. The charter status means it operates independently of the Saint Paul Public Schools system, with its own governance. For a family looking for a smaller, self-contained secondary school in the capital city, with a solid record in literacy and a top-quartile county standing, Great River School is worth a close look. The missing data on special populations and the absence of a graduation rate for this cycle are places to direct further inquiry.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

85-89%Cohort of 63 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

649 schools plotted. 88 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 31%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Science

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolGREAT RIVER SCHOOL, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 8Lower-income70%Higher-income69%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income32%2 pp gap