The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in Math. The lowest is 71% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Burroughs Elementary
Burroughs Elementary is a regular public school in Minneapolis serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Minneapolis Public School District, a large urban system that covers a city of lakes, parks, a historic riverfront, and a dense mix of downtown skyscrapers, university campuses, and residential neighborhoods. The school itself draws from the southwestern part of the city, an area of older homes, tree-lined streets, and a neighborhood feel within the broader urban fabric.
On state assessments, Burroughs posts results that place it among the highest-scoring elementary schools relative to districts across Hennepin County. In both reading and math, proficiency rates across grades three through five are strong by any measure, with math reaching particularly high levels in fourth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade is also well above typical benchmarks. These are single-year figures from the most recent testing cycle, so a multi-year trend is not yet visible, but the snapshot shows a school where a very large majority of students meet or exceed state standards in core subjects.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, Asian, Black, or of two or more races. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a notably lower rate than what is typical in Minneapolis public schools overall. Data on students with Individualized Education Programs and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent wanting a full picture of special education or language support services would want to follow up directly with the school.
Housing in the immediate zip code commands values well above the national median, and rents run at a comparable premium. This is one of the more expensive residential areas within the city, and the school’s demographics reflect that market. The neighborhood itself is a settled, walkable part of Minneapolis with access to the city’s extensive park and lake system.
The district context matters here. Minneapolis Public Schools has been navigating declining enrollment, structural budget deficits, and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds. The school board closed three schools at the end of the 2022-23 school year and has considered further consolidations. A comprehensive district redesign, phased in starting in 2021, reshaped attendance boundaries and magnet school placements, altering which elementary schools feed into which middle and high schools. Voters rejected an operating levy increase in 2020 but renewed a technology capital levy in 2022. For Burroughs families, the immediate academic environment is strong, but the district’s financial pressures and changing pathways mean that long-term stability and feeder school assignments may shift, something prospective residents should confirm with the district’s current boundary maps and CDD update.
Burroughs delivers a high-performing academic experience in a low-poverty, largely homogeneous setting. It fits families who place a premium on strong test scores and who are able to afford the housing in this part of Minneapolis. Because it is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school itself offers no high school programming. The peer group is small relative to a K-5 enrollment of modest size for a city school, which can allow for close relationships between students and staff. The district’s broader challenges are worth weighing, but for the elementary years Burroughs itself presents a track record of consistently high student achievement.
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