Westwood Intermediate & Middle Sch, Blaine MN

Original Research by School Decision on Westwood Intermediate & Middle Sch

Westwood Intermediate and Middle School sits in Blaine, a fast-growing suburban city in the northern Twin Cities metro, and is part of the Spring Lake Park Public Schools district. It serves grades five through eight, a standalone intermediate-and-middle-school configuration that gives students four years in one building before they move on to high school.

Academically, the school’s state assessment results paint a mixed picture. In reading, proficiency rates across grades five through eight fall roughly in the low-to-mid-forties range, with a slight dip in grade seven. In math, performance is notably lower, with rates around thirty percent in every grade. Science results are the weakest of the three subjects tested, with proficiency rates in the mid-teens for both grade five and grade eight. Because only a single year of data is available for these assessments, there is no trend line to show whether scores are improving or declining from prior years. Compared with other districts in Anoka County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, meaning it performs better than the median among reporting districts in the county but still well below the strongest performers in the area.

The school’s size is one of its defining characteristics. Enrollment is large, with roughly comparable numbers in each of the four grade levels. The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic, Black, Asian, and students who identify with two or more races. Smaller numbers of American Indian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are also enrolled. Just under half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that indicates a significant portion of families face economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports and services.

Because Westwood serves only middle grades, it does not report a graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the sources used here. Discipline, course access, and staffing information also were not included. The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and its status for Title I (federal funding for high-poverty schools) was not specified.

The surrounding community of Blaine has experienced sustained growth and is known for new home construction and a suburban, car-dependent layout with no traditional downtown. Major roadways include Interstate 35W and U.S. Highway 10. The city has extensive trail networks and large recreational facilities such as the National Sports Center and TPC Twin Cities golf course. Housing values in the area are broadly in line with the state median, while rents have been rising.

The district, Spring Lake Park Public Schools, has several notable features. In 2022, voters approved a long-term operating levy to maintain class sizes and programs, which a parent may see as a sign of community support. The district also offers a full-time online high school option and a Spanish Immersion pathway from preschool through twelfth grade. However, the school board certified a maximum levy increase for taxes payable in 2025, meaning property taxes for district residents have gone up.

Westwood Intermediate and Middle School fits families who want a large, standalone middle school in a growing suburban setting with a diverse student body. The academic proficiency numbers are moderate and below state averages in math and science, so a parent concerned about those areas may want to investigate what interventions or enrichment the school provides. The absence of several data points means a proactive conversation with the school would be valuable for any family weighing this option.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 34% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 44% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 49% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 42% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 43% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 16% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 18% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolSPRING LAKE PARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income58%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income59%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income54%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income29%Higher-income51%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income43%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income43%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income47%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income16%Higher-income43%28 pp gap