Bel Air Elementary, New Brighton MN

Original Research by School Decision on Bel Air Elementary

Bel Air Elementary is a regular public school in New Brighton, Minnesota, serving grades one through five as part of the Mounds View Public School District. New Brighton is a primarily residential Twin Cities suburb in Ramsey County, shaped by its past as a stockyards and meatpacking town. Today it offers a mix of single-family homes, several lakes, and the Rice Creek corridor, with no traditional downtown; civic life centers on City Hall and regional parks like Long Lake, which hosts the annual Stockyard Days festival. The school sits within a community that has seen stable population levels in recent decades, with a modest recent dip.

Bel Air’s academic picture is strongest in mathematics. Students in the tested grades show a proficiency rate that climbs from roughly two-thirds in third grade to about seven in ten in fourth grade, then drops to about half in fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency rises from just under half of third graders to about six in ten in both fourth and fifth grades. Fifth-grade science, which has a lower proficiency rate, is an area a parent may want to look into further with the school, especially since the assessment underwent recent changes. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Ramsey County, a notable strength.

The student body reflects a moderate level of diversity. Just over half of enrolled students are white, with a meaningful share of students who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or of two or more races. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a substantial number of families with lower incomes. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner support was not available, so families with specific needs should confirm supports directly with the school. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not reported.

Housing in the area is moderately priced for the Twin Cities metro. Home values sit a little above state and national benchmarks, and rents are manageable relative to local incomes. The mortgage-versus-rent math tilts toward renting for many households. The broader economic context includes a national mortgage rate around six and a half percent and an unemployment rate in the low fours.

The Mounds View district has been navigating funding pressures. In November 2024, voters approved two operating levy questions: one renewing existing per-pupil revenue with no tax increase, the other adding new revenue for social-emotional support, academic support, and maintaining class sizes, with a modest tax impact on a median-value home. The district also made budget reductions heading into the 2024-2025 school year, cutting from staffing, professional development, and operations, citing inflation and state funding constraints. Separately, the School Board approved limited nonresident open enrollment slots for kindergarten through fifth grade beginning that same year, partially reversing a prior closed-enrollment policy driven by rising resident enrollment.

Bel Air Elementary serves families looking for a solidly performing suburban elementary school within a district that is actively investing in student support even as it manages budget trade-offs. The school’s academic results are above average for its county, particularly in math, while science results invite conversation. The community is mature, stable, and amenity-rich, with a moderate cost of housing for the region.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 66% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 64% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 54% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 52% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 52% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 34% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

This schoolMOUNDS VIEW 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-income30%Higher-income57%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income72%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income79%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income80%41 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income87%42 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income68%40 pp gap