The top reported proficiency rate is 14% in English language arts. The lowest is 4% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cityview Elementary
Cityview Elementary sits in north Minneapolis, serving students from pre‑kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Minneapolis Public School District. The school is small in enrollment for an elementary building, and the student body is diverse. Over half of the students are Black, roughly one in five are Hispanic, about one in ten identify as two or more races, and smaller shares are white, Asian, or American Indian. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced‑price lunch, a marker that the school serves a community with significant economic need. The share of students with an Individualized Education Program and the share classified as English learners were not reported in the available data, so a full picture of special education and language support services is not possible here; families who need those details should ask the school directly.
State assessment results for the 2024‑25 school year show low proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades. In reading, the proportion of students meeting state standards was modest in the tested grades, and the overall average across grades was well below what most families would expect. Math proficiency was similarly low, and science proficiency for fifth graders was very low. These scores place Cityview in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Hennepin County when measured by overall proficiency, a position that parents and guardians will want to weigh seriously. Only one year of testing data is available from this source, so there is no trend line to indicate whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining. The school serves grades that are tested by the state—third, fourth, and fifth graders take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments—so the results are directly relevant for those grade levels.
Because Cityview is an elementary school, it does not have a graduation rate, and the available data does not include information about chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios. Those gaps mean a parent cannot evaluate the school’s climate or adult‑to‑student ratios from this record. The district brief, on the other hand, contains publicly reported context that matters for any Minneapolis school. Minneapolis Public Schools recently restructured attendance boundaries and magnet placements through its Comprehensive District Design, which means that the feeder pattern for Cityview may have shifted and families should confirm current assignments with the district. The district also closed three schools in 2023 as part of budget cuts tied to declining enrollment, and faced a significant budget deficit for the 2024‑25 school year, leading to staff reductions and program cuts. These district‑level pressures can affect class sizes, program availability, and overall school stability.
The school is located in a neighborhood of north Minneapolis, a dense urban area within a major city that is a hub for corporate headquarters, arts institutions, and the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis offers extensive public parks, lakes, a light‑rail system, and a range of civic and cultural anchors. Housing values in the immediate area, as reflected by the zip code, are well below the state median, making this part of the city relatively more affordable than much of the Twin Cities metro. Rents are also below the state average, and the price‑to‑income ratio suggests that homeownership is more achievable here than in many parts of Hennepin County. For families considering a move to the attendance zone, this is one of the more accessible entry points into the Minneapolis housing market.
Cityview is best understood as a high‑poverty urban elementary school with low test scores against state standards. It serves a racially and economically diverse student body, and its size is small. The fiscal challenges of the parent district mean that broader district resources are under strain, which families should factor into their planning. A parent considering Cityview would want to visit, talk with the principal about academic supports and intervention strategies, ask about special education and English learner services, and find out how the school is working to lift its proficiency rates. The data alone does not capture the quality of teaching, the sense of community, or the specific programs the school may offer, and those are likely to matter a great deal in deciding whether this is the right fit for a child.
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