The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 46% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lowell Elementary Spanish Immersion
Lowell Elementary Spanish Immersion is a regular public school in Duluth serving kindergarten through fifth grade. Its name tells you the central feature: instruction is delivered in Spanish, and the school is designed for students to become bilingual and biliterate. This is a school with a clear academic identity, and for a family seeking an immersion program in the Duluth area, that identity is the primary reason to consider it.
The school is part of the Duluth Public School District. Duluth itself is a mid-sized port city on Lake Superior, the regional center for northeastern Minnesota. It has a working port, a tourist-oriented waterfront, and a mix of older residential neighborhoods on hillsides above the lake. The city’s economy is anchored by healthcare, shipping, tourism, and education. Population growth has been modest, and development tends toward revitalization of existing areas rather than large-scale new subdivisions. The school is located on Rice Lake Road, in a part of the city that is more residential and away from the immediate downtown and waterfront.
Lowell serves kindergarten through fifth grade and enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic share. A relatively small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the school’s economic profile. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served and what supports are in place.
The school’s academic performance on state assessments is a clear strength. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through five were solid, with the highest rate in third grade and a step down in fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates were also solid across those grades, with fifth graders posting the strongest result. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, the proficiency rate was lower than the school’s math and reading results. A parent may want to ask the school about science instruction and how it fits into the immersion model. The assessment data comes from a single year, so there is no trend line to show whether performance is improving or declining.
When compared to other districts in St. Louis County, Lowell’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile. That is a strong position. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The school’s immersion program is its defining feature. For a family that values bilingual education and wants a school where Spanish is a core part of daily instruction from kindergarten onward, Lowell is a clear option. The academic results suggest that students in the program are performing well in math and reading on state tests, which is a positive signal for a program that delivers content in a second language. The lower science result is something a parent may want to explore further with the school, particularly to understand how science instruction is handled in the immersion context.
The school sits within the Duluth Public School District, and the district brief did not surface any recent major changes or initiatives that would affect a family’s decision. The housing market in the area shows home values and rents that are roughly in line with state benchmarks, and the area has seen modest appreciation. For a family considering a move to Duluth for this school, the neighborhood around Rice Lake Road is a standard residential area of the city, not the tourist-heavy waterfront.
Lowell is a school with a specific mission and solid academic results. It fits a family that wants an immersion program and is comfortable with the size and setting of a mid-sized Duluth elementary school. The lower science proficiency is a point to investigate, but the overall picture is one of a school that is performing well in its core academic subjects while delivering instruction in a second language.
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