Original Research by School Decision on Edgewood Ecse
Edgewood ECSE is a specialized early childhood program within the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools district, serving only pre-kindergarten students who qualify for special education services. The school operates as a dedicated special education school, meaning it is designed specifically for young children with identified developmental delays or disabilities who need specially designed instruction in a structured setting. This is not a typical neighborhood preschool; families are assigned here through the district's evaluation and placement process.
The school's entire enrollment is made up of pre-kindergarten students, so the measures that typically define a school's performance for older grades do not apply here. There are no state test results to report, as Minnesota does not administer its statewide assessments at the pre-kindergarten level. There is no graduation rate because the school does not serve high school grades. A parent looking at this school's profile will not find the usual academic performance data, and that absence is not a sign of weakness but a reflection of the age and purpose of the program.
Demographically, the student body is racially and ethnically diverse relative to the surrounding community. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a standard measure of economic need. The school's designation as a special education facility means that every enrolled child has an Individualized Education Program, though the specific count of students with IEPs was not available in the data.
The program sits within the broader Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools district, which covers Prior Lake, Savage, and several surrounding townships. Prior Lake itself is an exurban community roughly a half-hour southwest of Minneapolis. It has been growing rapidly, powered by commuter access along a recently upgraded state highway, and is located in one of the fastest-growing counties in Minnesota. The city is also home to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Mystic Lake Casino, a major employer and economic anchor.
Housing in the area reflects its suburban desirability, with home values sitting above statewide averages. The typical rent and mortgage costs in Prior Lake's zip code are elevated, positioning the community as relatively expensive for the region. The city's growth has brought new commercial development downtown and an increasing focus on diversifying the tax base, but the residential character remains dominant, with a strong emphasis on the area's many lakes, parks, and trail systems.
In late 2023, the district saw a split referendum result. Voters approved an operating levy increase aimed at maintaining class sizes, mental health support, and programming. They rejected a bond measure that would have funded security upgrades, classroom additions, and a new elementary school. For a family with a child in Edgewood's early childhood program, the levy passage means the district has secured ongoing funding for the kind of support services that are central to special education programming. The bond failure, however, leaves the district without a clear path for facility expansion at a time when the community continues to grow.
Edgewood ECSE is a small, focused program. Its purpose is to serve a specific population of young children with special needs, and it operates within a growing suburban district that faces the typical pressures of enrollment growth and facility capacity. A parent whose child has been referred for early childhood special education services should expect a program built around individualized instruction in a setting where all students share similar needs for specialized support. The lack of conventional academic benchmarks is inherent to the school's mission and grade span.
See more original research from School Decision →