The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Innovation Sci & Tech Elementary
Innovation Sci & Tech Elementary is a very small public charter school in Coon Rapids that opened its doors in fall 2020, making it one of the newer school options in the north metro area. It serves children from prekindergarten through fifth grade, and its curriculum is built around a STEM-focused, project-based learning model that incorporates an Innovation Lab with fabrication tools and coding instruction across subjects. Because it is a charter school, it is tuition-free and open to any student in the area through an enrollment process, not tied to a single neighborhood attendance boundary.
The school is small, with fewer than seventy students across all grades at last count, and the largest class sections are in first through fourth grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of white students and a modest Asian enrollment. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the economic circumstances many families face.
On the most recent state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates were soft in both math and reading when compared with the median for districts across Anoka County, which is the comparison set used here. In math, the share of students meeting state standards declined noticeably from third to fifth grade, and in reading the pattern was uneven: fourth-grade proficiency was low, while fifth-grade reading was higher. Science results for fifth graders were very low. A parent exploring this school will want to discuss with the school’s leadership how the curriculum supports students who arrive below grade level, given the proficiency numbers. The school has only a single year of testing data on record in this dataset, so it is not yet possible to see a trend. State testing data for earlier grades, such as kindergarten through second grade, is not available because those grades are not part of Minnesota’s statewide testing program.
The school operates as part of the Innovation Science and Technology Academy charter district, which has expanded its grade span since opening. By the 2023–2024 school year, the district had added a middle school, serving through seventh grade, and its stated plan is to grow into a full prekindergarten through twelfth grade program. For now, students who stay past fifth grade can continue within the same district, which is still young and building out its upper grades.
Coon Rapids itself is a large residential suburb of Minneapolis, situated along the Mississippi River and with a high rate of home ownership. The city has a car-dependent suburban layout but offers an extensive network of parks and trails, including a regional park with a walkway over the Mississippi. Major employers include a hospital, the local school district, a community college, and several manufacturers. The housing market in the area around the school reflects prices slightly below the state median, and rents have been rising. The city expects moderate population growth.
For a family considering this school, it matters that Innovation Sci & Tech Elementary is a young, small school with an explicit STEM and project-based orientation, serving a high-poverty student population. The academic data from its first available test year shows areas where the school will need to demonstrate improvement, especially in math and science. A parent should expect to engage directly with the school about its academic support strategies and its plans as it continues to add grade levels.
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