Joseph Nicollet Middle School, Burnsville MN

Original Research by School Decision on Joseph Nicollet Middle School

Joseph Nicollet Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders in Burnsville, as part of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools district. It is a regular public school with a sizable enrollment for a middle school, drawing from the surrounding suburban neighborhoods. The student body is diverse across racial and ethnic lines, with no single group forming a majority. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is an indicator of the economic mix of families the school serves.

State testing data is available for math, reading, and science. Across all tested grades, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts are below what many families would hope to see. Science results for eighth graders are similarly low. When compared with other middle schools across districts in Dakota County, the school’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. This is a meaningful soft spot for parents to consider, especially if strong academic outcomes are a priority. There is only one year of data available in the trend, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a change from prior years.

Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available in the provided information, nor were details on course access, staffing ratios, or program offerings. A parent may want to ask the school directly about advanced coursework, interventions, and enrichment opportunities.

The district has made some recent changes that affect families. It established a permanent K-12 virtual academy, the ONE91 Virtual Academy, which gives students an option for fully online learning. It also reduced the number of elementary schools from ten to eight, including the closure of one school in Savage due to funding, which has altered attendance patterns for younger siblings. These district-level decisions shape the pipeline of students who eventually reach Nicollet Middle School.

Burnsville itself is primarily a residential suburb of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, though it has a notable concentration of commercial and retail development. The city's "Heart of the City" project created an urban-style downtown district with performing arts and condominiums, but outside that area the built environment is car-dependent. Parks are abundant, with dozens of parks and a stretch of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The city grew rapidly in the decades after Interstate 35 construction and is now considered fully built, with recent focus on redevelopment rather than new subdivisions. Housing values in the area are broadly in line with state benchmarks, and rents have been rising, which matters for families weighing affordability when choosing a school.

For a family considering Joseph Nicollet Middle School, the picture is mixed. The school offers a diverse student body in a fully suburban setting within a district that has expanded virtual learning options. But state test results are lower than many peer schools in the county, and the absence of program and staffing data means a family should investigate what academic supports are actually in place. This school may fit a family that values its community context and diversity and is prepared to be active in seeking out the resources their child needs. A family focused on high measured academic performance from the outset may find the proficiency rates a reason to look more closely at other options or to ask pointed questions about instruction and intervention.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 23% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 23% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 23% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 34% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 30% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 30% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 8% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

This schoolBurnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income48%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income17%Higher-income42%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income16%Higher-income46%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income38%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income34%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income13%Higher-income51%39 pp gap