Original Research by School Decision on Ubah Academy
Ubah Academy is a small charter high school in Hopkins serving students in grades nine through twelve. The school sits in a small, nearly fully developed suburban city west of Minneapolis that has a mix of older residential blocks, a historic commercial main street designated on the National Register of Historic Places, and a long-established redevelopment pattern. The student body is entirely Black, which stands out in a region where many surrounding schools serve a more diverse or predominantly White population. Almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate well above what most nearby district schools report.
The school came into its current identity relatively recently. In 2023, it dropped the word "Medical" from its name, shifting officially from a health-sciences specialty focus to a general college-preparatory mission. According to the school’s annual report, the medical emphasis had been reduced in practice for years, and the old name was deterring prospective staff from applying. Families considering the school should understand it now presents itself as a broader college-prep high school rather than a program with a targeted career pathway.
State testing results from the most recent school year show proficiency rates in English language arts and math that are below state averages, though these results represent a single year’s snapshot with no prior data to compare. With only that first year of reported scores, there is no way to tell whether this is the start of a trend or an isolated year. A parent may want to ask the school how it is working on academic achievement and whether the transition to a new mission has influenced instruction or support. The school does not report data on special education enrollment or English learner status, so those proportions are unknown.
The school is its own charter district, which means it operates independently of the larger Hopkins School District that serves the surrounding communities. It has no magnet or Title I designation in the available data, and information on discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance was not included. The gaps on some of these fronts are common for a small, newer charter school that may not yet report all the same metrics a larger district does.
Housing in the Hopkins area is priced above the national median, and mortgage rates as of early summer were typical for the period. The city is expecting three light-rail stations as part of a Metro Green Line extension, which will reshape connectivity in the near future. For a family evaluating whether this school fits, the key factors are the small size, the entirely Black student body and high economic need, the recently clarified college-preparatory role, and a single year of below-average test scores with no trend yet to read.
See more original research from School Decision →