Lake Harriet Upper Elementary, Minneapolis MN

Original Research by School Decision on Lake Harriet Upper Elementary

Lake Harriet Upper Elementary is a public school in Minneapolis serving grades three through five. It belongs to the Minneapolis Public School District, a large urban system that has been managing declining enrollment, budget shortfalls, and restructuring in recent years. The school itself operates as a regular public elementary and draws from its immediate neighborhood.

State assessment results show consistently strong academic performance. In both math and reading, proficiency rates are high across all three grades. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects places it in the top quarter of districts in Hennepin County, a clear mark of above-average achievement relative to its regional peers. Fifth-grade science results are lower than those in math and reading, though they still land above the county median. A parent might want to ask how the school approaches science instruction in the upper elementary years.

The student body is relatively small for a three-grade school. It is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals is low, reflecting the area’s affluence. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.

The school sits in a part of Minneapolis where home values and rents are well above both state and national medians. The housing market is expensive, and the typical monthly mortgage payment outpaces the typical rent by a meaningful margin. For families considering a move, this is a high-cost neighborhood that aligns with the school’s low poverty rate and strong test scores.

The broader district context matters here. Minneapolis Public Schools adopted a Comprehensive District Design starting in 2021 that reshaped school pathways, attendance boundaries, and magnet program placements. Several schools have been closed due to enrollment declines and budget deficits. Voters renewed a technology levy but rejected an operating levy increase, adding to ongoing fiscal pressure. The district has faced a significant budget deficit, leading to staff reductions and program cuts. Families at Lake Harriet Upper Elementary may be less directly affected by these changes given the school’s strong neighborhood base, but district-level decisions on boundaries, program funding, and potential further closures could eventually touch this school as well.

Because the school serves only grades three through five, no graduation rate applies. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were not reported, and the school’s magnet and Title I status were also not available in the data. The school’s programs and course access details were not provided, so a full picture of extracurricular or specialized offerings is not possible here.

For families living in or looking at this part of Minneapolis, Lake Harriet Upper Elementary offers a high-performing academic environment in a stable, high-cost neighborhood. The school’s strength on state assessments is clear, and its student demographics are consistent with the surrounding housing market. The main unknowns are district-level challenges that could influence the school’s future stability, class sizes, and program support.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 45% · ▲ 40 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 486%

School 86% · District 43% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 32% · ▲ 40 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 40% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 484%

School 84% · District 39% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Grade 585%

School 85% · District 46% · ▲ 39 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Science

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 26% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

This schoolMinneapolis Public School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income36%Higher-income75%39 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income75%Higher-income86%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income89%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income55%Higher-income88%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income69%Higher-income90%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income78%45 pp gap