The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in Math. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on New Century School
New Century School is a public charter elementary school in Saint Paul, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Housed on Energy Lane, a location near several major roadways in the city, it is a school of choice that families apply to independently of the larger Saint Paul Public Schools district. The school is a standalone entity, operating as its own district, so the data and decisions here are specific to this one building.
The student body is almost exclusively Black, with a very small number of white and Hispanic students enrolled. The school serves a population with very high economic need; the vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is small for an elementary school, with classes that give each grade a modest cohort size. Information on the share of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available in the data reviewed.
State testing results from the most recent school year show that across all three tested grades, student proficiency rates in math and reading were below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Ramsey County. In math, the portion of students meeting state standards was higher in third grade than in fourth or fifth grade. In reading, proficiency rates were also higher for third graders than for fourth graders, with fifth graders showing a somewhat higher rate than either of the two younger grades. Science testing, which Minnesota administers only in fifth grade, showed a modest share of students reaching proficiency. These numbers represent a single point in time; the data did not include results from prior years, so there is no basis to say whether performance is trending up or down. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students who are below grade level and what specific academic interventions are in place.
The school does not have a graduation rate because it serves only elementary grades, so that metric does not apply.
New Century School is a charter school, which means it operates with its own board and budget outside the traditional district structure. The charter school authorizer and the school’s specific educational model are not detailed in the available data, but the school’s website, publicly reported, describes a recent addition to the district: New Century Academy, a program that opened in fall 2023 for older students who have struggled in conventional settings, offering smaller classes and individualized plans. The district also offers a fully online K-12 program, NCS Online, which serves students from anywhere in Minnesota. These programs are separate from the physical elementary campus profiled here, but they indicate that the charter network is expanding its reach.
The school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s capital and the eastern half of the Twin Cities metro area. The city is anchored by the state capitol complex, numerous state government offices, and Ramsey County government. Saint Paul’s population is notably diverse, with significant Black, Asian (including a large Hmong community), and Hispanic/Latino populations, though the school’s student body does not reflect that full diversity. The city’s civic life centers on its downtown, with major cultural venues like the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Ordway Center, and professional sports at Xcel Energy Center and Allianz Field. The housing market near the school is typical of the broader metro area, with home values and rents that have risen moderately in recent years. The school’s location on Energy Lane is in a more commercial and industrial part of the city, not in a dense residential neighborhood, so families should consider commute patterns and the immediate surroundings.
New Century School is a small, economically diverse charter elementary with a student body that is nearly all Black and a high level of family need. Its test scores are below the county median, and a family considering it should look closely at the academic program and support services to understand how the school addresses those results. The school sits within the broader context of Saint Paul, a government and cultural hub, but its immediate setting is less walkable than many of the city’s residential areas. It fits a family seeking a charter option in a small-school environment with a specific demographic focus, and it may be part of a larger conversation with the school about academic progress and student support.
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