Elementary Schools in Minneapolis Public School District

The 43 elementary schools of the Minneapolis Public School District serve roughly 15,471 students across Minneapolis, Minnesota, with grade spans ranging from PK–K and K–2 to PK–5, PK–6, and PK–8. As a district, it ranks 310th of 458 in Minnesota (32nd percentile, 2 stars), and its all-grade proficiency trails the state in Math (37.1% vs. 44.9%), Reading (41.8% vs. 48.6%), and Science (21.7% vs. 25.5%). That district average, however, hides enormous differences between individual schools.

At the top, Lake Harriet Upper Elementary ranks 3rd of 869 schools statewide with 86.2% Math, 85.3% Reading, and 60.7% Science, followed closely by Burroughs Elementary (85.7% Math, 83.9% Reading, and 64.8% Science, the highest Science score in the group). Armatage Elementary, Kenny Elementary, Field Elementary, and Waite Park Elementary also earn 5 stars. At the other end, Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary ranks 865th of 869 with 3.6% Math, 8.7% Reading, and 2.3% Science, while Bethune Elementary, Anishinabe Academy Elementary (0.0% Science), and Ella Baker Elementary post similarly low results. The top 10 ranked schools average 74.5% Math versus 9.3% for the bottom 10 — a gap of more than 60 points in Math and Reading.

Poverty, measured by free/reduced lunch (FRL) rate, is the strongest visible pattern. The 12 schools with FRL under 40% average 71.0% Math, while the 14 schools above 80% FRL average 11.9%; no school above 80% FRL reaches the district average. Science is a district-wide weakness — the median is just 16.2%, and 14 schools fall under 10%. A few schools beat the trend: Kenwood Elementary (52.32% FRL, 50.3% Math, 42.5% Science), Green Central Elementary, and Bancroft Elementary all exceed district averages. Green Central, Kenwood, Marcy Elementary, and Lake Nokomis Keewaydin Elementary are also improving. Five schools have no test data because they serve only early grades, and MPS Online K–5 has suppressed values that should not be read as zeros.