North Junior High, Saint Cloud MN

Original Research by School Decision on North Junior High

North Junior High serves as one of the regular public middle schools within the St. Cloud Area School District, enrolling students in grades six through eight in a mid-sized building on the north side of the city. The school sits in a community that is both a regional employment center—anchored by a major hospital system, a large state university, and manufacturing employers—and a destination for immigrant families, particularly from Somalia, which has reshaped the demographic profile of the district in recent years.

The student body is diverse by race and ethnicity. Black students make up the largest single group, followed by white students, then Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Asian, two-or-more-races, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating high levels of economic need. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not available in the materials reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

State assessment results from the most recent school year show that proficiency rates across math and reading are well below the midpoint among districts in Stearns County, placing the school in the bottom quarter of that comparison group. In math, the share of students meeting state standards hovers in the mid-to-late teens across all three grades. In English language arts, the rate is slightly higher, landing in the upper twenties to low thirties, with sixth graders performing a bit better than seventh and eighth graders. Science results for eighth graders are very low, with a single-digit share reaching proficiency. Only one year of data was available, so no trend can be assessed, and the state made changes to assessments that mean comparisons with prior years may not be reliable. A parent evaluating this school will want to look closely at the academic support structures in place—such as intervention programs, tutoring, or extra help—and consider how the school addresses the challenge of raising proficiency in a high-poverty setting.

The school environment section of the data did not include information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing levels, or course access. Without that context, it is hard to get a full picture of day-to-day climate. The lack of reported program offerings—such as gifted and talented, advanced coursework, or specialized electives—also means a family with a student seeking enrichment would need to ask the school directly.

Housing in the St. Cloud area is moderately priced relative to national and state benchmarks, with typical home values and rents that make the region more affordable than the Twin Cities metro. That affordability, combined with the city’s role as a growing regional hub, means families moving into the area often find a range of housing options near the school.

No recent major changes to district policy or programming were identified in public records reviewed for this profile, so the school appears to be operating in a stable district context.

North Junior High is a school shaped by high student poverty and significant racial and ethnic diversity, serving a community that has seen substantial demographic change. Its low proficiency results on state tests place it among the lower-performing schools in Stearns County. A family considering this school should investigate what academic interventions and enrichment opportunities are available, and should expect that peer achievement levels may reflect the broader challenges that come with concentrated economic disadvantage.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 21% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 20% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 38% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 35% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 32% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 10% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, 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 6Lower-income29%Higher-income55%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income48%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income52%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income41%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income12%Higher-income33%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income33%24 pp gap