The reported proficiency rate for Science is 21%.
Original Research by School Decision on South St. Paul High School
South St. Paul High School is a regular public high school serving grades nine through twelve in the South St. Paul Public School District. It sits in a historically working-class Mississippi River community that was once defined by the Saint Paul Union Stockyards and meatpacking industry. The city has moved past that era into a mix of older residential neighborhoods and redeveloped riverfront areas, and the school draws from that same stable, blue-collar population base.
Enrollment is moderate—large enough to offer a standard comprehensive high school experience. The student body is racially and ethnically mixed. Around half of students come from White backgrounds, roughly a third are Hispanic, and smaller shares are Black, Asian, or two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the community’s economic character. Missing from the data are counts for students with disabilities and English learners, so a parent who wants to understand special education or language support offerings would need to ask the school directly.
Academically, the picture is mixed with some areas that families will want to examine closely. The most recent state assessment results, from the 2024–25 school year, show that reading proficiency sits around the point where roughly two-fifths of students meet the state standard, while math proficiency is lower—roughly one in five students reaches that bar. These are new single-year data points, so it is not yet possible to see a trend. Older science results from years prior show a similarly low proficiency rate, though that testing was for eighth graders and may not reflect current high school performance. On the whole, South St. Paul High School’s academic proficiency across tested subjects places it in the bottom quarter when compared with other districts in Dakota County. That comparison set includes seventeen districts, so the school is on the lower end of a large, generally well-performing suburban county.
The four-year graduation rate is not included in the available data, so it is not possible to say how well the school retains students through to a diploma. A parent might want to ask the school for its graduation rate and any recent trends.
The community surrounding the school is compact and walkable in parts, with older neighborhoods on a grid street plan and a Mississippi River Greenway trail nearby. Parks, an ice arena, a public library, and a small airport are local anchors. Housing values and rents are moderate relative to the state and national benchmarks; the median home value is roughly in line with the Minnesota average but accessibly priced compared to more expensive Twin Cities suburbs. Rental costs are such that a typical household would spend about a fifth of income on rent, which is a manageable figure. The city is actively redeveloping its former stockyards area, and a comprehensive plan guides growth toward infill and mixed-use projects.
The district’s main building for grades six through twelve is South St. Paul Secondary, which means this high school occupies the same campus as the middle grades. No recent parent-relevant changes from the district were found in publicly available materials.
Overall, South St. Paul High School is a regular neighborhood high school in a close-knit, historically industrial city. Its academic results are lower than many of its Dakota County peers, and families who prioritize strong standardized test performance may want to look more closely at what support and interventions are available. The school offers a typical public high school setting with a diverse student body, and it draws from a community that is stable, affordable, and invested in redevelopment. A parent considering this school should seek out current information on graduation rates, course offerings, and any academic improvement efforts underway.
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