MPS Online 6-12

MPS Online 6-12 is a virtual public school in Minneapolis, MN, serving 358 students in grades 6-12 within the Minneapolis Public School District, where over 71% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This online school faces significant academic challenges. Math proficiency is critically low at just 1.45% for the 2024-2025 school year, with several grade levels recording 0% proficiency. This is dramatically lower than the nearby charter school Banaadir Academy (18.6% math proficiency) and the district average (35.79%). Reading proficiency is somewhat higher at 18.75%, but still very low. The school's graduation rate has been volatile, hovering around 50% over the last five years, though it has shown a positive trend, rising from 47.2% in 2022-2023 to 56.1% in 2024-2025. This is lower than the district average (72.7%) and state average (84.9%), but higher than nearby alternative schools like Plymouth Youth Center (9.0%) and Unity Campus (26.0%). The dropout rate is also high at 13.8%, more than double the district average.

The online model itself appears to be a key factor in these outcomes. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.9:1, MPS Online has a much higher ratio than nearby alternative schools like Banaadir Academy (9.5:1), which serves a similar demographic but achieves far better results across all metrics. The school's subgroup ranking for low socio-economic status students is in the 4th percentile statewide, indicating it is particularly ineffective at serving its primary demographic. While the virtual format offers flexibility, the data strongly suggests it is not effectively addressing the severe academic deficits of its student population, especially in math. For parents considering this option, it's important to weigh the convenience of online learning against these significant academic concerns.