Original Research by School Decision on Centennial High School
Centennial High School serves students in grades nine through twelve as part of the Centennial Public School District, which covers Circle Pines and the surrounding communities of Blaine, Lino Lakes, Centerville, and Lexington. The high school itself is not located within Circle Pines proper but sits on a separate campus within the broader district. Circle Pines is a small, largely built-out suburban residential community founded as a planned cooperative village, and it retains a municipally-owned natural gas utility as a legacy of that past. The city describes itself as having a small-town feel, with homes placed close together amid oak and elm fields that give a rural appearance. An extensive trail system, including the Rice Creek Regional Trail, connects neighborhoods to natural spaces. The civic core along Lake Drive includes City Hall, the Post Office, and the Anoka County Library. Population has been relatively stable for decades, and the city is largely built out within its roughly two-square-mile footprint, so families moving into the area should expect a settled suburban environment rather than one with rapid new development.
Centennial High School enrolls a large student body for a high school, with a grade distribution that is fairly even across all four years. The student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is moderate and places the school in a middle ground economically. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
On state assessments, the school posted a proficiency rate in English language arts that is solid, with roughly three in five students meeting the standard. In math, about half of students were proficient. These results come from a single year of testing, so there is no trend to examine. A parent looking for year-over-year direction will want to ask the school about recent patterns. The school did not have a reported graduation rate in the available data, which is unusual for a comprehensive high school; a parent should confirm this directly with the district.
The Centennial School District has made several recent changes that matter to families. In late 2023, voters approved an operating levy referendum that provides a substantial annual sum for the district's general fund, supporting class sizes, student support services, and academic programming. Without it, the district would have faced significant budget reductions. The school board also approved district-wide full-day kindergarten at no cost starting in the 2025-2026 school year, replacing a previous half-day program and fee-based full-day option. The district adopted a five-year strategic plan in 2022 focused on academic excellence, social-emotional learning, and fiscal stewardship, developed with input from staff, parents, and community members.
Housing in the area carries a value that sits near the state benchmark, and rents are moderate relative to national income levels. The area is a short drive from the Twin Cities metro, and many residents commute south for work. For a family considering this school, the picture is of a large suburban high school in a stable, built-out community with a district that has recently secured its financial footing through a voter-approved levy and expanded its early childhood offerings. The academic results are solid in English language arts and more mixed in math, and a parent may want to ask the school about the missing graduation rate and special education data to get a fuller picture of student outcomes and supports.
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