The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Marine Area Community School
Marine Area Community School is a small K-6 charter school whose address is in Stillwater, Minnesota, though the community it primarily serves is the separate village of Marine on St. Croix, located several miles to the north. The school operates as its own single-school charter district, meaning it holds independent authority from the larger Stillwater Area Public Schools district. As a charter school, it has no tax levy authority and no elected school board tied to municipal boundaries; its governance is internal to the school.
The school is small, with an enrollment that matches its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, reflecting the demographics of the surrounding St. Croix River valley communities. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
Marine Area Community School serves kindergarten through sixth grade. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
State assessment results are available for the 2024-25 school year in reading, math, and science. In reading, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five clustered around the midpoint of the distribution, with a combined all-grades rate that fell slightly below the median among schools in Washington County. Math results were more uneven. One grade level posted a proficiency rate near the all-grades combined midpoint, but a later grade showed a much lower result. Science results from grade five also fell on the lower side of what is typical. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it below the midpoint relative to other districts in the county. Because the school is a single-school district, this comparison is against the set of districts in Washington County, not against other individual schools. Parents may want to ask the school about the variation in math and science results across grades and what steps are being taken to support students in those areas.
Stillwater is a city on the St. Croix River with a mix of historic downtown tourism, manufacturing, and two state prisons. The downtown features preserved buildings, a riverfront, and a trail loop that crosses the former lift bridge into Wisconsin. Major employers include the prisons and manufacturers of plastic molds, automotive parts, windows, and medical supplies. The city has grown through annexation agreements with Stillwater Township, expanding its western boundary. Because Marine Area Community School is a charter school that draws from a broader attendance area than just Stillwater, families considering it should confirm the school’s official enrollment zone or open-enrollment process.
Housing in the area carries premium values relative to state and national benchmarks. Home values are above the state median, and rents are similarly elevated. This places the school in a relatively high-cost market, which may affect family budgets when deciding between school options.
The school environment data on discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance were not available in the source materials. Those topics are worth raising directly with the school during a visit or inquiry.
Overall, Marine Area Community School presents as a small, independent charter elementary school in a high-cost, scenic river valley setting. Its academic results across tested grades and subjects are mixed, with reading and some math results near the middle of the county range, but other math and science results trailing. Families considering the school will want to explore the reasons behind the variation in performance and understand how the school addresses academic support across all grade levels.
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