Bultum Academy, Columbia Heights MN

Original Research by School Decision on Bultum Academy

Bultum Academy is a public charter school in the north Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, serving students in PreK through eighth grade. It opened in 2022 with a stated STEM-focused curriculum and is authorized by Novation Education Opportunities. Families enroll through a lottery system, which is standard for Minnesota charter schools.

The school operates on 40th Avenue NE in Columbia Heights, a first-ring suburb with a small downtown centered at the intersection of 40th and Central Avenue. The city is dense by suburban standards, with a hilly terrain and several lakes. Commercial corridors run along Central and University Avenues. Housing in the area carries a value that places it somewhat below the state median home price. The rental market is similarly positioned. For a family considering a move to the area, these figures are typical for a compact inner-ring suburb with a mix of older single-family homes and apartment buildings.

Academically, Bultum Academy’s state test results present a varied picture. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places the school slightly above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Anoka County. But that composite masks a wide spread by grade and subject. In reading, proficiency rates across grades moved from roughly a fifth of students in third grade to just under half in sixth grade, then back to two-fifths in seventh grade. In math, the pattern was more uneven: roughly two-fifths of third graders and just under half of fourth graders met the bar, but that share dropped to the range of a sixth of students in fifth grade, then below a quarter in sixth grade, and down to a very small fraction in seventh grade. Science results were even lower, with only a tiny share of fifth graders reaching proficiency. A parent considering the school will want to discuss these patterns directly with the school—particularly the sharp drop in math and the low science figures—to understand what supports and curriculum adjustments are in place.

The student body is small and almost entirely Black, with a very small number of white students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so it is unclear what proportion of students receive special education services or language support. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate or college readiness data to report.

The school environment section lacked information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing ratios. The state does not appear to have reported these for the school yet, possibly because it is new. A parent may want to ask about class sizes, teacher turnover, and attendance patterns directly.

Columbia Heights itself is a community with a historic Polish-American identity and a modest downtown that includes the Heights Theater, the public library, and county offices. The park system is spread across low-lying areas and includes several small neighborhood parks and five lakes. Major transit routes run north-south, and the city borders Minneapolis to the south. Growth and development information was not found in public sources, so it is hard to say whether the area is seeing new housing or commercial investment.

Bultum Academy is a young school, still establishing its track record. Its STEM emphasis and charter structure offer families an alternative to the area’s traditional public schools. The test results suggest that while some grade levels show reasonable reading proficiency, math and science performance is weak in multiple grades. For a family weighing options, these are the principal points to investigate further with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 39%

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

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 23%

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 4%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

This schoolBultum Academy Charter School, 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.