The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Aris
Aris is an alternative school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in Woodbury and operated by Northeast Metro 916, an intermediate district that provides specialized programs to member school systems. With a total enrollment that is very small for a KG–12 campus, Aris functions as a distinct option within a broader network of alternative, special education, and career-technical offerings.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students, Asian students, Black students, and students of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The school is not a charter school and does not hold a magnet designation; its state classification as an alternative school is the key to understanding its purpose and academic context.
State testing data raises immediate considerations for a parent reading this profile. For the most recent year reported, the school’s proficiency rate in both math and reading at the seventh-grade level was reported as zero percent. In science, the school’s fifth-grade data was suppressed, meaning the number of test-takers was too small to report publicly while protecting student privacy. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages the rates across tested subjects and grades, falls in the bottom quartile when placed against all districts in Washington County. These numbers reflect a student population that is likely very small and serves a specific, high-need cohort; a school like this typically enrolls students who have not succeeded in traditional settings, for whom a standard proficiency measure may not capture progress or growth. A parent considering Aris should ask the school directly about how student growth is tracked and what alternative assessments or measures are used.
The graduation rate was not available in this data, which is common for alternative schools where cohort sizes can be too small to report. Attendance and chronic absenteeism data were also missing, so the available profile leaves several key outcomes unaddressed.
Woodbury is a fast-growing suburban city east of Saint Paul, distinguished by a well-educated workforce, major employers in medical and retail sectors, and an extensive network of parks and multi-use trails. Housing values are high and well above the national benchmark, reflecting the area’s desirability and the affluence of the surrounding community. The city has a population that has grown substantially in recent years and is projected to continue increasing, and the housing market has seen modest appreciation. Aris sits within this community but serves a specialized student population that often comes from across the intermediate district’s member schools, not solely Woodbury residents.
Northeast Metro 916 is an intermediate district, meaning it does not operate its own neighborhood attendance boundaries the way a traditional public district does. Instead, it provides alternative programs, career and technical education, and specialized services for students referred from member districts. The district brief found no recent referendum, curriculum overhaul, or tax shift that would be of lasting interest to a parent. For a family exploring Aris, the conversation should begin with the referral process and the specific support model the school uses, rather than with the test scores that dominate a typical school profile.
For a parent, Aris is not a school one shops for by comparing proficiency rates. It exists to serve students who need a different academic and behavioral setting than a comprehensive public school provides. The data available is thin by design, and a family weighing this option would want to visit, talk to staff about the program structure, understand the pathway to graduation, and see how the school defines and measures success for its students.
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