Original Research by School Decision on Early Ed Highwood Hills
Early Ed Highwood Hills is a special education school in Saint Paul that serves only pre-kindergarten students. Because the school’s grade band stops at PK, the typical academic benchmarks that many parents look for—state assessment results, a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism data—do not apply. The state does not test four-year-olds, and there are no high school outcomes to report. This is a school designed for early childhood special education, not for the full academic progression of older grades. A parent looking at this school would be investigating an early-intervention setting for a child with disabilities, not a traditional elementary or secondary pathway.
The school’s size is very small. Its enrolled student count places it among the smallest programs in the district. The student body reflects the diversity of the surrounding community: Asian, Black, and White students are all represented, and the demographics align with Saint Paul’s broader population mix. Because the school is a self-contained special education facility, nearly all students likely have an Individualized Education Program, though the specific count of students with IEPs was not reported in the available data. The share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch was also missing. Those gaps are worth noting; a family considering this school may want to ask the district directly about the economic background of the families served and the specific support services available.
The school is part of Saint Paul Public Schools, a large urban district that has recently added new magnet options, including an E-STEM Middle School and an East African Elementary Magnet in Woodbury. Those changes do not directly affect Early Ed Highwood Hills, which remains a separate early childhood special education program. The district’s broader menu of offerings may be relevant for a parent planning beyond the pre-kindergarten years, as a child who attends Early Ed Highwood Hills would eventually transition to another SPPS school. Parents may want to ask what feeder pathways or early childhood transitions are in place.
Saint Paul itself is the state capital, a city on the Mississippi River with a mix of government employment, cultural institutions, and a diverse population. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, though detailed affordability comparisons for families of children in specialized programs are not available from this data. The school is located on Londin Lane in the eastern part of the city, in a residential neighborhood. The local park system is highly ranked, and the city’s light rail connects it to Minneapolis.
For a parent considering Early Ed Highwood Hills, the critical thing to understand is that this is not a school with test scores or a graduation rate to evaluate. Its purpose is to provide early childhood special education services in a separate setting. The available data does not include details on the curriculum, staffing ratios, or specific therapies offered. A family would need to contact the school or the district to learn about the instructional approach, the types of disabilities served, and how the program coordinates with broader early intervention services in Ramsey County. Without those specifics, the school remains a specialized program whose fit depends entirely on a child’s individual needs and the family’s ability to gather more information directly.
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