The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Math. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Brookside Elementary
Brookside Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, located in the north-central Minnesota city of Ramsey. The school is a regular public elementary school, not a charter or magnet, and it draws from a community that has grown steadily over the past two decades. Ramsey, roughly a half-hour northwest of downtown Minneapolis, blends residential neighborhoods with a strong manufacturing and commercial base; major employers include Connexus Energy, Life Fitness, and several manufacturing firms. The city is developing a central downtown area called The COR, with retail, housing, an amphitheater, and waterfront park, and it offers over 20 parks and more than 80 miles of trails. The Northstar Commuter Rail line provides transit to Minneapolis, though the built environment remains largely car-oriented outside the emerging core.
On state assessments for the 2024-25 school year, Brookside posted solid math results. Students in grades three, four, and five all showed proficiency rates that were well above the midpoint, with fourth and fifth graders scoring particularly high in math. English language arts results were more moderate: third grade proficiency was lower, while fourth and fifth graders climbed into the mid-60s. Fifth-grade science proficiency was lower, about where the state median for that grade often lands, though the assessment underwent a name and cut-score change that year, making direct comparisons uncertain. Across all tested subjects and grades, Brookside’s overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile relative to the other districts in Anoka County. This is a strong showing for a suburban elementary school and suggests that, in math especially, students are meeting the Minnesota academic standards at a high rate.
The school enrolls a large student body for an elementary building, with roughly similar numbers per grade from kindergarten through fifth. The student population is predominantly white, with modest shares of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that is below the national average for public schools and reflects the generally middle- and upper-middle-income character of the surrounding community. Housing values in the area are above both the state and national benchmarks, and rents have been rising, consistent with the region’s growth. Families moving to Ramsey will find a range of housing from downtown apartments and townhomes to larger single-family homes on rural lots.
Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and language support services. No information was reported on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios. Since the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, and no program offerings such as advanced coursework or career pathways were listed.
The district itself, Anoka-Hennepin, is one of Minnesota’s largest, and a search for recent parent-relevant changes such as referenda, curriculum updates, or boundary shifts did not turn up public information that could be confirmed; any such developments would need to be verified through district communications or board meeting records.
For a family considering Brookside, the picture is of a high-performing suburban elementary school in a growing, amenity-rich community. The math proficiency stands out as a clear strength, while reading skills are solid but leave room for growth, especially in the early grades. The school’s size is typical for a suburban elementary, and the demographics are largely homogeneous. The surrounding city offers a mix of established neighborhoods and new development, with parks and trails woven throughout, and a downtown area still taking shape. A parent whose priorities include strong foundational math instruction and a suburban setting with expanding civic infrastructure will find Brookside a comfortable fit.
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