The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Math. The lowest is 48% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on North Woods Elementary School
North Woods Elementary School is a public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Plymouth, Minnesota, part of the Wayzata Public School District. It is a standard neighborhood school, not a charter or magnet. For a family looking at schools in this part of the western Twin Cities suburbs, North Woods offers a large enrollment and very strong academic performance on state assessments.
The school’s test results across math and reading place it well above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Hennepin County, landing in the top quartile of the county’s proficiency index. In both math and English language arts, the share of students meeting state standards is high across grades three through five. Fifth-grade science results are more moderate, with about half of students reaching proficiency; a parent interested in the school’s science program may want to ask how that subject is taught in earlier grades and what supports are in place. Because the school only goes through grade five, there is no graduation rate to report.
North Woods is a large elementary school, serving several hundred students across kindergarten through fifth grade, plus a pre-kindergarten program. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Asian population and smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, Black, multiracial, or Native American. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low, indicating that the school serves a predominantly affluent attendance area. The district’s own data on the number of students with individualized education plans or English learner status was not available in the source materials, so a reader may wish to ask the school directly about special education and language support programs.
Plymouth is a large, mature suburb west of Minneapolis, and the school sits in a residential neighborhood typical of the city’s car-dependent suburban fabric. There is no traditional downtown; commercial and civic centers are spread along major highways and boulevards. Five school districts serve Plymouth, with Wayzata being the largest. Housing values in the zip code are high, and rents are correspondingly elevated. This is a community where families typically buy in for the school reputation and the area’s stability; the city’s population has been relatively stable after decades of growth.
The Wayzata district recently saw voters approve an operating levy renewal that runs for a decade, providing predictable funding for class sizes and programs. The district has also added capacity, opening or reconfiguring elementary schools to manage enrollment growth, which now exceeds a size that makes it one of Minnesota’s largest suburban systems. For high school, the district has a permanent online option, Wayzata Online, for grades nine through twelve, giving families an alternative to the main high school campus.
Civil rights data, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, and course access information were not available for this school. Because North Woods is a regular elementary school, some of these measures—like chronic absenteeism—are not typically reported at the school level in the same way they are for middle and high schools. A parent looking for a fuller picture of school climate and student support would need to consult the school directly or check parent surveys.
In sum, North Woods Elementary is a high-performing, well-resourced school in an affluent suburb with strong district finances and a stable community. It fits families who value strong test outcomes, a large school environment, and a predictable suburban setting, but the moderate science results and the absence of certain data points are worth exploring further.
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