Success Academy Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud MN

Original Research by School Decision on Success Academy Saint Cloud

SuccessAcademy Saint Cloud is a charter school serving kindergarten through seventh grade in the city of St. Cloud. It enrolls a small student body. Nearly every student comes from a family with low income, as a very high share qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is almost entirely Black, with a very small number of students identifying as two or more races. The school sits within the Success Academy district, which operates this single campus.

Academically, the picture from state testing is sobering. The 2024-2025 school year is the only year of data available. In reading and math, the share of students meeting state standards was well below the midpoint for districts in Stearns County. Fewer than one in three students scored proficient in third-grade math; the proportion fell further in fourth and fifth grade. English language arts results followed a similar pattern, with proficiency declining as grade level increased. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a similarly low rate. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index landed in the bottom quartile among the county’s districts. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

The school’s academic context matters for families who are weighing whether this environment fits their child. The numbers are what they are, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about the instructional supports in place, how it addresses foundational literacy and math skills, and what progress it expects to show over time. With only one year of testing data, it is not possible to see a trend. The district itself appears to have no recent major changes publicly reported.

St. Cloud is a mid-sized regional center with a mix of residential neighborhoods, a major university, a regional hospital system, and manufacturing employers. It has a large immigrant population, particularly from Somalia, and the local district reflects that demographic shift. Housing costs in the area are lower than the state average, though the market has seen increases. The city sits along the Interstate 94 corridor, about a moderate drive from the Twin Cities.

For a family considering Success Academy Saint Cloud, the school offers a small, all-grades-under-one-roof setting in a city that is economically and culturally diverse. The academic results are low relative to other area options, which is the central fact a parent will want to investigate further. The school’s charter status means it operates independently of the larger St. Cloud school district, though it draws from the same community. A family coming here would be choosing a small school environment with a demographic profile that reflects the city’s newest residents, and they should expect to engage closely with the school around academic progress, given the performance data.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 33% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 21% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 12% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 27% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 16% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 29% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Science

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 10% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

This schoolSuccess 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.