The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Anthony Middle
Anthony Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Minneapolis, part of the Minneapolis Public School District. It sits within the city’s extensive network of neighborhood schools, and for families navigating middle school options in the southern part of the city, it represents a specific academic and community profile worth examining closely.
The school’s enrollment is substantial for a middle school, drawing from its attendance area. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller but notable shares of Black, Hispanic, and two-or-more-races students, and very small representations of Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Just over a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a lower rate than the district’s overall average, which points to a relatively more affluent catchment area. Data on students with Individualized Education Programs and English learners were not provided, so a family with specific special education or language support needs would want to ask the school directly about those services and the share of students they serve.
State assessment results place Anthony Middle on strong footing compared to other schools statewide and to its peers within Hennepin County. In reading and language arts, proficiency rates across all three grades tested were solid, with sixth and eighth graders posting particularly high levels of proficiency and seventh graders at a moderately lower but still respectable rate. Math proficiency showed a similar pattern: eighth graders performed at a high level, sixth graders were notably strong, and seventh graders lagged somewhat behind the other two grades. Science results for eighth graders were markedly lower than the math and reading scores at that grade level, a pattern that is common across many schools but one a parent may want to investigate further with the school to understand how science instruction and curriculum align with state expectations. The overall proficiency index across tested subjects places Anthony Middle in the top quartile among schools relative to districts in Hennepin County, a strong comparative position.
Because this is a middle school, no graduation rate exists for it to report, and chronic absenteeism data were not available in this profile.
Anthony Middle is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status indicated in the available data. The district brief for Minneapolis Public Schools notes several structural changes that shape the context for any family choosing this school. The district’s Comprehensive District Design, approved in 2020 and phased in over subsequent years, restructured attendance boundaries and feeder patterns, meaning the pathway from Anthony Middle to high school may have shifted from earlier years. A family should confirm the current high school assignment for this middle school’s zone. The district has also faced significant budget pressures, including a projected deficit, declining enrollment district-wide, and recent school closures, which could affect program stability, class sizes, and resource allocation at the building level over time. A technology levy was renewed by voters in 2022, providing dedicated funding for devices and infrastructure.
The school is located in Minneapolis, a major urban center and the state’s most populous city. The city is dense, with a mix of downtown skyscrapers, riverfront mill districts, and residential neighborhoods around numerous lakes and parks. The area around Anthony Middle is a leafy, lower-density residential part of south Minneapolis, distinct from the downtown core. Public transit connects the neighborhood to the rest of the city, and the University of Minnesota’s main campus is a short drive or transit ride away. Housing values in the school’s zip code are well above the state and national benchmarks, reflecting a high-cost, stable market. Rents are also elevated, and the overall cost of entry to this attendance area is steep for a family buying or renting a home.
This is a school with demonstrably strong test results in core subjects, particularly for a middle school, and a student body that is less economically diverse than the district as a whole. The key questions for a family are not about basic academic performance, which is well-supported by the data, but about fit. A family should confirm the current feeder high school, ask about the gap in science proficiency and the lower seventh-grade scores, and get a clear picture from the school of its special education and English learner supports, since those figures were absent from this profile. The broader district financial pressures and the recent boundary and program changes add a layer of uncertainty to any individual school’s long-term stability that a family may want to weigh.
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