The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on 279online Learning Program K-5
279Online Learning Program K-5 is a full-time online school within Osseo Area Schools, serving elementary students across Minnesota from a physical address in Brooklyn Park. It is a virtual program, not a building you drop kids off at each morning, and that distinction shapes everything about it. The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and it is neither a magnet nor a Title I school in the data available. Because it is a program, not a brick-and-mortar site, many of the typical school-level metrics either do not apply or were not reported.
The enrollment is small for a K-5 school. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a higher-poverty context than the district average. The student body is racially diverse, with Black students and Asian students forming the two largest groups, followed by white students, Hispanic students, and students of two or more races. The data did not include counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a family with a child in either category would want to ask the program directly about how those supports are delivered in a virtual setting.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year are available but very limited. In math and reading, the school reported proficiency rates that fall in the bottom quartile of all schools in Hennepin County. The school reported proficiency rates in math and reading that are low. However, the small enrollment means a handful of students can move the percentage considerably, and the online format may attract families whose children were not thriving in a traditional classroom for reasons that are not captured by a single test score. Science results were suppressed due to a small number of test-takers, a pattern that is common when a tested group has very few students. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how the program assesses academic growth and what support it provides for students who are below grade level.
Brooklyn Park is a large suburban city in northern Hennepin County, the sixth-largest in Minnesota, with a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and some remaining farmland. It is car-oriented and lacks a traditional downtown, with schools spread across three separate districts, though 279Online serves students beyond those boundaries. The city has seen a slight population decline from the 2020 census, but it retains undeveloped land and has recently invested in a major highway link northward. Home values and rents in the ZIP code are below the state average, and the area is more affordable than much of Hennepin County.
The school is part of Osseo Area Schools, a district that has invested in virtual learning as a permanent option. The district has expanded 279Online to serve students across Minnesota in grades K-12, making it a lasting part of its offerings. It also opened a new elementary school in the Maple Grove area to keep up with growth in that part of the district.
For a family considering this school, the central question is not location but fit. This is a virtual K-5 program serving a small, diverse, and low-income student body, with test scores that are low compared to the county and a student population that may have chosen online learning for medical, behavioral, or logistical reasons. The program offers flexibility and the avoidance of a traditional school building, but the academic results are weak. Families drawn to this option should ask how the online curriculum is delivered, what live instruction looks like each day, and how the school tracks progress for students who may have arrived below grade level.
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