Elementary Schools in Friendship Academy of the Arts

There is one elementary-level school in the Friendship Academy of the Arts area: Friendship Academy of the Arts, a K–8 school in Minneapolis with 167 students, and it operates as its own Friendship Academy of the Arts district. Because it is the only school here, there is no local peer school to compare it with, so the most useful comparisons are to Minnesota state averages and to the school’s own past results. The school is consistently in the bottom decile of Minnesota: it ranks 432 of 458 districts, in the 6th percentile with 0 stars, and its school rank has stayed low for three years, from 811 of 881 in 2023–24 to 816 of 872 in 2024–25 and 809 of 869 in 2025–26, with 0 stars each year. It also has 80.84% free/reduced-price lunch and a 29.5 student/teacher ratio in 2024–25.

All-grade proficiency is far below state averages in every subject. In 2025–26, the school reports 13.2% in Math, 17.9% in Reading, and 10% in Science, compared with state averages of 44.9%, 48.6%, and 25.5%. In 2024–25, it reported 11.63% in Math, 20.15% in Reading, and 6.9% in Science, compared with 45.21%, 49.59%, and 26.15%. From 2024–25 to 2025–26, Math rose 1.57 percentage points, Reading fell 2.25 points, and Science rose 3.1 points. Reading is the school’s strongest subject overall, but it remains well below the state.

Grade-level results show some relative bright spots but also major gaps. The highest figures are 5th grade Reading at 29.2%, 4th grade Reading at 28%, 4th grade Math at 24%, and 8th grade Science at 11.8%, which is 4.9 percentage points below the state’s 16.7%. The weakest areas include 7th grade Math at 5.9%, 6th grade Math at 6.7%, 5th grade Math at 8.3%, and 3rd grade Reading at 8.7% versus the state’s 46.8%, a 38.1-point gap. Science is mixed: all-grade Science improved, 5th grade Science is 8.7%, and 8th grade Science is closer to the state average. Overall, strengths are in 4th–5th grade Reading, 4th grade Math, and 8th grade Science; the most pressing weaknesses are middle-school Math, early-grade Reading, and 5th grade Science.