The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on New Code Academy Middle School
New Code Academy Middle School is an online public school serving grades six through eight within the Bloomington Public School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and operates as a fully remote option for any Minnesota family, taught by licensed teachers from the Bloomington district. This structure is the school’s defining feature: it is a permanent alternative to in-person learning, offering standards-aligned courses meant to match the rigor of face-to-face classes. For a family considering whether this school fits, the most important fact is that the entire academic experience takes place online, which shapes the peer environment, the pace of instruction, and the kind of support a student receives.
The school is small, with a total enrollment in the dozens for its middle school grades. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with no single group constituting a majority, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the share of English learners was not provided, so a parent should ask the school directly about those supports. The school itself sits within the Bloomington Public School District, which offers a Computer Science Immersion program in partnership with the University of Minnesota, integrating computer science into other subjects; that program extends to the middle school level. The district also operates Bloomington Career and College Academy at the high school level, but that is not applicable for this middle school.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show a wide spread across grade levels. In math, seventh graders had a proficiency rate in the mid-forties, while sixth graders had a reported proficiency rate of zero and eighth graders had a rate in the single digits. In English language arts, seventh graders again had a rate in the mid-forties, eighth graders had a rate in the mid-twenties, and sixth graders had a reported proficiency rate of zero. In eighth-grade science, the proficiency rate was reported as zero, with a participation rate well below where one would typically see for a tested grade. Because the school is online, the participation challenge in state testing is a circumstance a parent should discuss with the school to understand how it conducts assessments. The overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places New Code Academy Middle School below the midpoint relative to other districts in Hennepin County; the single year of data available means no trend can be established.
Housing in the Bloomington area is priced around the national typical range, with rents that consume a moderate share of a typical household’s income. The city itself is a large post-World War II suburb of Minneapolis, with a car-oriented layout, major commercial development along interstate corridors, and a concentration of jobs. The Mall of America anchors the eastern South Loop district, and the city has more jobs per capita than Minneapolis or Saint Paul. The Metro Blue Line light rail connects the Mall of America to downtown Minneapolis, and a third of the city is reserved for parkland. The population has seen a slight decline since the 2020 census, and the city has pursued municipal investments funded by a voter-approved local option sales tax. For a family considering this online school, the neighborhood's housing market and commute options are less relevant than in a traditional school, but the broader district context of Bloomington's public schools remains.
For a family wondering whether this is a good school, the answer depends heavily on what a student needs from the middle school years. The online format provides flexibility and a consistent remote option that is not available in most districts, and the courses are taught by district-licensed teachers. The academic results on state assessments are well below typical proficiency levels in multiple grade levels and subjects, and the low participation rate in eighth-grade science testing raises a question about how assessment is managed. A parent should look into this further with the school, particularly around how the online environment supports math and literacy instruction for students who have struggled, and how the school ensures that state tests are completed by the students who are enrolled. This is not a school where a parent can assume that proficiency rates are on par with typical in-person schools in the county; it is a specific educational model that works best for families who want a fully remote pathway and are prepared to investigate the support structure behind the numbers.
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