Hazel Park Preparatory Academy, Saint Paul MN

Original Research by School Decision on Hazel Park Preparatory Academy

Hazel Park Preparatory Academy is a regular public school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Saint Paul Public Schools district, the city’s sole school system. The school is a direct neighborhood-based school, not a charter or magnet institution.

The student body numbers roughly in the low hundreds for a PK-8 school, a size that allows for a close-knit feel but also shapes the academic offerings. Demographically, the school is highly diverse and reflects the broad immigrant and ethnic communities of Saint Paul’s East Side. Asian students make up the largest group, with a substantial Black student population and a smaller Hispanic share; White and multiracial students form a modest portion. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student population with high economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, which means a parent may want to ask the school directly about support services for those populations.

State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts are low across all tested grades. In math, the share of students meeting state standards ranged from a small fraction in some grades to a slightly larger but still low fraction in others. In reading, the pattern was similar, with proficiency rates that are modest. Science results, available for grades five and eight, were also low. The school’s overall proficiency index, a composite of all tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quarter when compared with other districts in Ramsey County. Because this is a single-year snapshot and the state changed its testing vendor and cut scores, direct trend comparisons are not possible. For families considering the school, these figures point to a significant academic challenge that would be worth discussing with the principal or instructional staff.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

Saint Paul, the city where the school is located, is Minnesota’s capital and a mid-sized, dense urban center with a diverse economy anchored by state government, healthcare, and cultural institutions. The neighborhood around Hazel Park Preparatory Academy is on the city’s East Side, a residential area that includes a mix of single-family homes and apartments. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to the Twin Cities metro area, and rents are at a level that many lower-income households can manage. The city’s park system is well-regarded, and public transit connects the school to downtown and other parts of the metro.

Within the district, Saint Paul Public Schools has recently opened new magnet options that may affect enrollment patterns at neighborhood schools like Hazel Park. A new environmental STEM middle school in Woodbury and a culturally focused East African Elementary Magnet offer families alternative pathways. The district also renamed one of its middle schools. These changes do not directly alter Hazel Park’s status as a regular attendance-area school, but they do broaden the menu of school choices available to Saint Paul families.

For a parent or resident evaluating Hazel Park Preparatory Academy, the picture is clear. The school serves a high-poverty, diverse community in a stable urban setting. Its academic results on state tests are well below the county median, and this is a central consideration. The school likely offers a range of supports common in high-need schools, but specific programming beyond the regular curriculum was not reported. Families who value a neighborhood school with cultural diversity and who are prepared to engage closely with the school’s academic challenges may find it a fit. Those seeking higher test scores or a stronger academic track record will want to explore the magnet options within the district or other schools in Ramsey County. As always, a visit and a conversation with the principal are the best next step.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 38% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 33% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 26% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 22% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 712%

School 12% · District 22% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 20% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 32% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 30% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 41% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 36% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 31% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 33% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 18% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 10% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolSaint Paul 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.