Original Research by School Decision on Fair High
FAIR High is a small regular public high school in downtown Minneapolis, serving grades nine through twelve as part of the Minneapolis Public School District. The school is located on South 10th Street, placing it in the dense urban core of Minnesota's largest city, a setting that provides access to the cultural and civic resources of downtown—museums, sports venues, the University of Minnesota campus nearby—but also the traffic, noise, and street life typical of a central city location. The school itself sits within a district that has been under considerable financial pressure, with a recent history of school closures, a rejected operating levy, a renewed technology levy, and a significant budget deficit that has led to staff and program reductions. Families considering FAIR High should be aware that the district's fiscal situation may affect resources available at the school.
The student body is small for a high school and diverse. White students make up the largest single group, followed closely by Black students, then Hispanic students, with smaller shares of students who are two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian. More than two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a substantial concentration of families with lower incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports in place for those populations.
On the 2024-25 state assessments, FAIR High's results show a clear split between English language arts and math. In ELA, a majority of students met proficiency standards. In math, however, the proficiency rate was much lower, with fewer than one in five students reaching that benchmark. This is a single year of data, so there is no trend to examine, but the gap between the two subjects is large and warrants a conversation with the school about math instruction, intervention programs, and how the school supports students who arrive below grade level. The district's comparison set for Hennepin County did not provide a benchmark for FAIR's proficiency index, graduation rate, or chronic absenteeism, so these numbers stand on their own without a local reference point. No graduation rate was available for the school.
The neighborhood housing market around the school reflects the urban core: home values have seen a modest recent decline, while rents have increased, and the cost of renting is considerably more affordable than buying in this ZIP code given current mortgage rates. A family moving into the area should expect a tighter rental market and a buyer's market that has softened slightly.
FAIR High is a fitting choice for a family that wants a small high school in the heart of a major city, with a diverse student body and a setting dense with opportunities beyond the school building. The academic profile is uneven—solid reading results but low math scores—and the district's broader financial challenges mean that families should stay informed about what programs and staffing the school can sustain. A parent considering FAIR High would be wise to visit, sit in on a math class, and ask about tutoring, credit recovery, and how the school addresses the gap between its ELA and math performance.
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