Star of the North Academy Charter S, East Bethel MN

Original Research by School Decision on Star of the North Academy Charter S

Star of the North Academy Charter School in East Bethel serves kindergarten through eighth grade as a regular public charter school. The school is part of a small charter district that also operates a separate campus in Coon Rapids, which opened in 2023. Publicly reported information indicates the school was recognized as a high-quality charter school by the state of Minnesota in 2022, a designation that allows it to seek additional funding to expand.

This is a small school community. The enrollment is modest for a K-8 school, and the student body is diverse. The largest demographic groups are Black students, White students, and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.

State assessment results from the most recent testing year show a clear pattern. In reading, students across grades three through eight scored at or above the proficiency mark at rates that place the school in the lower half when compared with other districts in Anoka County. Grade-level results varied, with the strongest reading performance in seventh grade, where roughly half of students met the bar, and the weakest in third grade, where about a quarter did. Math proficiency rates were lower across the board. In every tested grade, fewer than half of students scored proficient, and in sixth grade the rate was notably very low. Science results, available for fifth and eighth graders, also showed a small share of students meeting the state standard. The school’s overall proficiency index across all subjects and grades sits below the midpoint among districts in the county. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the academic supports and interventions in place.

Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to evaluate. Data on chronic absenteeism was also not available in the reporting set. The school’s charter status means it operates independently of the local district boundaries, so students from a wider area may attend, though the school is located in East Bethel.

East Bethel is a semi-rural community at the northern edge of the Twin Cities metro area. It is a large, low-density town of lakes, wetlands, and farmland, and the lifestyle is car-dependent. There is no traditional downtown. Most residents commute elsewhere for work, and the commute time is long. Housing in the area is valued near the national median, and the community is predominantly owner-occupied. The town has many parks and natural areas, including a large ecological research reserve managed by the University of Minnesota. This is a place where a family choosing the school would likely be driving to reach it, and the school itself is a standalone campus rather than part of a walkable neighborhood.

For families weighing this option, the core considerations are straightforward. The school offers a structured K-8 program in a small charter setting with a diverse student body. The academic proficiency numbers on state tests are soft, especially in math, and a parent will want a clear picture of how the school addresses those outcomes. The surrounding community provides a quiet, rural residential environment with access to outdoor recreation but few local jobs or commercial services. The charter’s recent expansion to a second campus in Coon Rapids suggests the organization is growing, which may bring changes over time.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 43% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 40% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 19% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 6% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 18% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 23% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 23% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 29% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 38% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 32% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 47% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 45% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Science

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 5% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 16% · ▼ 4 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolStar of the North Academy Charter S, 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.