High Schools in Venture Academy

Venture Academy High School is the only high school in the Venture Academy district in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving grades 9–12 with 199 students, and it defines the entire high-school picture for this area. Because there are no peer schools to compare it with, its strengths and weaknesses are the area's high-school strengths and weaknesses. The school is small, with a 9:1 student/teacher ratio, and 100% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025, a strong indicator of concentrated economic need.

Academically, the school ranks at the bottom of Minnesota. Its district record shows a rank of 453 out of 458 schools, 1st percentile, 0 stars, and its rank history shows 0 stars in all three reported years — between the 2nd and 6th percentile. Test proficiency is very low: in 2025–2026, math was reported at 0% proficient at both All Grades and 11th Grade levels, against 44.9% statewide; reading was 13.8% (state: 48.6%) and science 4.5% (state: 25.5%). In 2024–2025, math was 7.32% proficient versus 45.21% statewide, reading 12.5% versus 49.59%, and science 10.34% versus 26.15%. In both years the school exceeded its own district in most subjects while remaining far below the state.

Graduation and dropout figures reinforce these concerns. The 2024–2025 graduation rate was 61.4% versus 84.9% statewide — 23.5 percentage points lower — and the dropout rate was 10.5% against 4.2% statewide, roughly 2.5 times the state rate. Reading was the least-low subject in 2025–2026 at 13.8% proficient, still 34.8 points below the state, and science moved from 10.34% to 4.5%, though the source labels differ slightly across years so that comparison should be treated cautiously. The small enrollment and low student/teacher ratio are potential assets for targeted support, but the reported outcomes show substantial academic and student-success challenges.