Woodbury Leadership Academy, Woodbury MN

Original Research by School Decision on Woodbury Leadership Academy

Woodbury Leadership Academy is a public charter school in Woodbury, Minnesota, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates as its own single-school district, meaning it functions independently of the larger South Washington County School District that serves most of the city. Families choose to enroll here, and its academic profile reflects a school that performs well above typical levels in its county.

On state assessments, students show solid proficiency in both math and reading. Across all tested grades, about three-quarters of students met or exceeded math standards, and about two-thirds did so in English language arts. Third and fourth graders posted particularly strong math results, with proficiency rates well above the average for schools statewide. Fifth grade math was softer, with just over half of students meeting the bar, while fifth grade reading rebounded to a level similar to the younger grades. Science proficiency in fifth grade was notably lower, a gap a parent may want to ask the school about. Because this is the only year of test data available, there is no trend to compare. Placed against all other districts in Washington County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile—a clear strength.

The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Asian students at about a quarter, Black students at roughly a fifth, and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. A substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Enrollment skews younger, with the largest classes in kindergarten through fourth grade and a steady drop through middle school; the eighth grade class is the smallest. This matters because the school recently launched a high school program, adding ninth grade in the 2024-25 school year, with plans to add one grade each year through twelfth grade by 2027-28. That expansion means families who start here in the elementary or middle grades now have a path through high school without needing to transition to another school. The school has secured additional building space to house the older grades.

Woodbury itself is a fast-growing suburban city east of the Twin Cities, known for its medical and tech employment base, extensive trail network, and a concentration of parks and recreation facilities. It lacks a traditional downtown, with civic life centered on a campus that includes city hall, a library, and an indoor park. Housing values in the area are above the national and state medians, and rents follow a similar pattern. The city’s population has grown steadily, driven by suburban expansion and proximity to metro-area jobs.

The data does not include information on special education identification rates, English learner services, discipline, attendance, or chronic absenteeism, so a parent with a child who may need those supports would want to check directly with the school. There is also no public reporting on program offerings such as arts, music, or extracurriculars. What is clear is that Woodbury Leadership Academy provides a K-8 pathway with academic results that outpace many of its county peers, and it is in the middle of a significant transition that will reshape the experience for upper-grade students in the years ahead.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 75%

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

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 60%

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

English language arts

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 65%

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

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 75%

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

Science

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolWoodbury Leadership 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income71%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income70%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income79%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income68%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income55%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income84%40 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income48%Higher-income91%43 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income66%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income56%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income45%14 pp gap