The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in Math. The lowest is 34% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Five Hawks Elementary
Five Hawks Elementary is one of the regular public elementary schools serving the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools district, a system in a corner of the Twin Cities metro that has been growing fast. The school itself covers kindergarten through grade five and is a neighborhood-focused building in a district that operates multiple elementary campuses across Prior Lake and Savage.
The student body is predominantly white, which tracks with the broader demographics of the area. Just over a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is moderate and not exceptional. The data did not include counts of students served under an Individualized Education Program or English learner status, so a parent with a child who receives special education services or is learning English would want to ask the school directly about those supports rather than assume.
State testing results offer a split picture. In math, proficiency across grades three through five was well above what a parent might expect from a typical public school in Minnesota. The fourth-grade cohort, in particular, posted a very strong result, and the overall elementary-level math proficiency sits well above the midpoint when compared against other districts in Scott County. In English language arts, the picture is more mixed. Third-grade reading proficiency fell below half, a soft spot that families may want to inquire about further with the school. Fourth and fifth grades improved, with fifth graders reaching roughly the same level as the school’s math performance in that grade. The single-year science result for fifth graders was lower than the reading and math marks in the same grade. Because Minnesota introduced a new science assessment that year, the state flagged a change in the test and cut scores, so that single data point comes with a caveat and may not be directly comparable to prior years. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s composite proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Scott County’s districts, so the overall academic profile is strong relative to its immediate neighbors, even with the uneven reading results.
The school environment and access data were limited. There was no information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access, and no details on whether the school receives Title I funding. The brief reported that the school operates as a regular school and is not a charter or magnet, but beyond that, many of the context pieces a family might want to assess the day-to-day student experience were missing from the available data. The district does note that a recent operating levy passed, which provides funding to manage class sizes and mental health supports, so there is a financial commitment to those areas. A bond measure that would have paid for a new elementary school and security upgrades failed, which means the district’s capacity to handle growth remains a live question.
The broader community context matters here. Prior Lake is a fast-growing exurban city southwest of Minneapolis, in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The housing market reflects that desirability: home values are well above both state and national benchmarks, and rents are also elevated relative to national norms. This is not an affordable market compared to much of the rest of Minnesota. The economy is dominated by Mystic Lake Casino and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and the city is actively trying to broaden its commercial tax base. The built environment is oriented around lakes, parks, and automobile commuting, with a downtown that has some local retail and restaurants but not a dense walkable core. The schools are on separate campuses spread across the district, and the high school and middle schools are not within walking distance of the downtown area.
For a family considering this school, the strong math performance and the overall district position within the county are clear drawing cards. The lower third-grade reading result is worth a closer conversation with the principal or a classroom visit. The lack of data on special education and English learner populations means a parent whose child needs those services should press for specifics. The community is growing, expensive by state standards, and oriented toward family life on the suburban model, with the trade-offs that come with that—long car trips for most errands and a school district that just voted down a major building expansion, which could mean pressure on classroom space in the years ahead.
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