The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Anishinabe Academy Elementary
Anishinabe Academy Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Minneapolis, within the Minneapolis Public School District. The school occupies a site on East 28th Street in the city’s urban fabric, part of a large, dense district that sits at the center of a major metropolitan area. Minneapolis itself is a hub of corporate headquarters, the University of Minnesota’s main campus, arts institutions, and professional sports, with a park system threaded by lakes and the Mississippi riverfront. That broad context shapes the district’s scale and challenges.
Enrollment is small for a K–5 building. The student body is predominantly American Indian or Alaska Native, making up the large majority of children, with a meaningful share identifying as two or more races and smaller shares as Black, Hispanic, and White. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty landscape. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in the available figures, so a family wanting those specifics should ask the school directly.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show proficiency rates that are very low across tested grades and subjects. In math, the share of students meeting standards in third, fourth, and fifth grades each sits at a small single-digit or low double-digit percentage. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third and fourth grade proficiency is low, while fifth grade rises somewhat higher but remains well below a majority. At fifth grade, science testing recorded a zero percent proficiency rate. Because these results represent only a single year, trend direction is not available. The state also changed the science assessment name and cut scores, which means that comparison to prior years is not meaningful.
When placed alongside the other districts in Hennepin County, the school’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. That comparison set includes a wide range of district contexts across the county, from Minneapolis itself to suburban and outlying areas. For a school serving a high-poverty, largely Native American student population, the performance numbers are consistent with broader national patterns linking poverty and systemic inequity to lower test scores, but a parent should look into what academic supports and interventions the school provides and how it tracks individual student growth beyond a single annual test.
As an elementary-only school, there is no graduation rate to report. The academic data available covers the grades that are tested, and the school does not serve the high school grades where that metric applies.
The district that oversees Anishinabe Academy—Minneapolis Public Schools—has been navigating significant structural changes. A Comprehensive District Design approved in 2020 restructured attendance boundaries and magnet placements across the city. School closures were approved in 2022 affecting three buildings, a response to declining enrollment and budget shortfalls. A voter-rejected operating levy in 2020 and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds contributed to a large projected budget deficit for the 2024–25 year, with ongoing discussions about further cuts. Those pressures may affect class sizes, program offerings, and the stability of school assignments in the coming years. Families considering Anishinabe Academy should weigh what they learn about its academic environment and cultural program against the broader district context of transition and financial constraint.
Program offerings at Anishinabe Academy were not included in the available data, so the narrative cannot detail what enrichment, arts, or specialized instruction exists. Given that a strong majority of students are American Indian, families may wish to ask the school about culturally relevant curriculum, Native language instruction, or community partnerships.
For a parent trying to understand if this school is a fit, the picture is one of a small, high-poverty elementary with a distinctive cultural composition and very low standardized test scores. The peer environment is shaped by shared economic circumstances and a strong Native identity. The housing market in the school’s zip code falls in a typical range for Minneapolis, with home values and rents that reflect a large, diverse urban market. A family interested in the school would do well to visit, talk with staff about how student progress is measured day to day, and ask about supports for students who are behind grade level. The academic data raises clear concerns, but the school’s purpose and approach may matter more to families than a proficiency number alone can convey.
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