Original Research by School Decision on Nets
NETS serves students from grade five through twelve as an alternative school within the Mounds View Public School District. The school is located in Shoreview, a second-ring suburb north of Saint Paul that is primarily residential with a notable corporate and business presence. Shoreview sits within a landscape of lakes and open spaces, with extensive trails and sidewalks connecting neighborhoods and parks, and its economic base includes companies in banking, business systems, manufacturing, medical, and robotics technologies. The population of Shoreview has grown modestly over recent decades and then edged slightly downward, and housing values have risen accordingly. The area is car-oriented, with Interstate 35W and County Highway 96 as main routes, and civic life centers on the Shoreview Community Center and a network of parks.
The enrollment at NETS is very small, and the school serves students in grades seven through twelve, with no students listed in grades five or six in the reported data. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition of the student group is diverse, with a mix of White students, students who identify with two or more races, Black students, and Hispanic students. The school is classified as an alternative school, and it does not have charter status.
State testing data for NETS is suppressed, which is a common practice when the number of students tested is very small. The participation rate in the 2022-23 school year varied by grade and subject, with some grades showing full participation and others showing lower rates. Because of the suppressed results, no proficiency rates or scale scores are available to describe academic performance for math, English language arts, or science. The low tested counts, with only a few students assessed at each grade level, mean that any reported figure would not be a reliable measure of school-wide performance and is withheld for privacy reasons. A parent looking at the school would want to discuss assessment participation and student progress directly with the school.
The Mounds View Public School District, which runs NETS, has seen several recent developments that may affect families. In November 2024, voters passed two operating levy questions, one renewing the existing levy and one adding new revenue for social-emotional support, academic support, and maintaining class sizes. This levy increases property taxes on a median-value home in the district. The school board also approved nonresident K-5 open enrollment options beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, partially reversing a prior policy that had closed all schools to open enrollment due to increasing resident enrollment. Additionally, the district made budget reductions that included cuts to staffing, professional development, and operational costs for the 2024-2025 school year, citing inflation and inadequate state funding.
Given the very small student body and the suppressed testing data, the available academic profile of NETS is minimal. The school is not comparable to traditional public schools in Ramsey County in terms of standard performance metrics because those metrics are not reported. What is clear is that NETS serves a small, diverse group of students in an alternative school setting within a district that has recently secured additional operating funding and made targeted budget cuts. A family considering NETS would need to learn more about the school's specific program, the reasons students attend, and how academic progress is measured outside of state assessments. The setting of Shoreview offers a suburban environment with parks, lakes, and corporate employment, and the broader Mounds View district has seen some enrollment pressure and financial adjustments that shape its current context.
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