Upper Mississippi Middle Academy, Saint Paul MN

Original Research by School Decision on Upper Mississippi Middle Academy

Upper Mississippi Middle Academy was a charter school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, serving sixth through eighth grade. It no longer exists. Public records show the school and its district, Upper Mississippi Academy, ceased operations after the 2023-2024 school year. Any parent reading about this school is reading about an institution that is no longer open.

When it was still operating, it was a very small middle school. The student body reflected the diversity of its downtown Saint Paul location. About half of the students were white, with substantial shares of Hispanic students, black students, and students identifying as two or more races. Just over a third of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. The school was located on Exchange Street in the heart of Saint Paul, close to the Mississippi River, the state capitol complex, and the city's cultural and civic institutions.

The school's state test results from its final year show a mixed picture. In reading, roughly half of sixth graders met the state proficiency standard, with a smaller share in seventh grade and just over a third in eighth. In science, about a quarter of eighth graders met the standard. Math scores were substantially lower. A very small share of sixth graders met the math standard, none of the seventh graders did, and a modest share of eighth graders met it. Compared with other districts in Ramsey County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects sat above the midpoint of the county's districts.

Because the school served only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the public record for the school's final year. The school was a regular public charter school, not a magnet or alternative program.

Saint Paul itself is Minnesota's capital and the eastern core of the Twin Cities metro area. The city is a mix of state government, commercial districts, and residential neighborhoods built into the bluffs and valleys of the Mississippi River. It has a diverse population, a nationally recognized park system, and a downtown that houses the capitol, cultural venues, and professional sports arenas. The school's location put it within walking distance of many of these anchors.

The central fact for any family considering Upper Mississippi Middle Academy is that it is no longer active. The building that housed it and the district that ran it both closed operations after the 2023-2024 school year. What can be said about the school's academic profile, its student body, and its setting is only relevant to understanding what it was, not what it is. For families looking for middle school options in downtown Saint Paul, other schools in the area now serve that need.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 28%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

This schoolUpper Mississippi Academy, 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.