The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Moreland Art/health Science Magnet
Moreland Art/Health Science Magnet serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in West St. Paul, a first-ring suburb of Saint Paul. As a magnet school within Independent School District 197 (West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan), its name signals a thematic focus on art and health science, though no detail on the magnet curriculum or program structure was available in the data reviewed. Families considering this school would want to learn the specifics of that theme directly from the school or district.
Academically, the school participates in Minnesota’s statewide assessments in math and reading for grades 3 and 4. In the most recent testing year, roughly two out of five students met state proficiency standards in each subject. That places the school’s overall proficiency index above the midpoint among districts in Dakota County. Because this is a single year of data with no prior trend available, it is not possible to tell whether performance has been stable, improving, or declining. Parents may want to ask the school about how it supports students who are not yet at grade level, especially given that the proficiency rate leaves room for growth.
The student body is notably diverse. The largest group is Hispanic, representing well over a third of enrollment, followed by White students, Black students, students identifying as two or more races, and smaller shares of Asian and American Indian students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner supports was not reported in the available records, so a parent would need to inquire about those programs directly.
West St. Paul itself is a compact, auto-oriented suburb. Its commercial life runs along the busy Robert Street corridor rather than a traditional downtown. The housing stock is described as diverse and well-maintained, with a city housing program aimed at maintaining quality. Home values in the area fall in a moderate range for the broader Twin Cities metro, and rents are similarly positioned. The city has 15 parks, an indoor ice arena, a community pool, and the Dodge Nature Center, offering some recreational and outdoor amenities. Public transportation is available, and the city emphasizes its proximity to downtown Saint Paul and the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.
The district voters approved a capital projects technology levy and renewed an operating levy in 2021, which the district says provides stable funding for class sizes, programs, and student support services. That is relevant context for a family evaluating the financial stability of the system.
Because this is an elementary school serving only through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate data to consider, and the school does not report chronic absenteeism rates in the data examined. The school’s size is moderate for its grade band. No information on disciplinary incidents, staffing ratios, or course access was provided. A parent wanting a full picture of the learning environment beyond test scores and demographics would need to visit the school or speak with families currently enrolled.
Overall, Moreland Art/Health Science Magnet offers a diverse, economically mixed student community in a first-ring suburban setting. Its academic results are somewhat above the county median, but a significant portion of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks. The magnet theme is a potential draw, but the available data does not illuminate how deeply that theme is integrated into daily instruction. Families should treat that as a question to explore.
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