Westonka Public School District

Westonka Public School District is a five-school Minnesota district serving 2,380 students: two K–4 elementaries (Hilltop Primary School and Shirley Hills Primary School), one grades 5–7 middle school, one grades 8–12 high school, and Transition Plus, a grade-12-only program. Overall the district ranks 5th of 458 Minnesota districts — the 99th percentile — with 5 stars, and all four schools with rank histories also earn 5 stars and place in the top 2% of their school-type lists.

Among the two elementaries, Hilltop Primary School is the highest-ranked school in the district, at 4th of 869 elementary schools (100th percentile, 5 stars). Its 2025–2026 all-grade math proficiency of 89.8% and reading of 85.0% give it the strongest math results in the district, and it has the lowest free/reduced-lunch share at 15.4%, with a 13.9 student-teacher ratio. Shirley Hills Primary School sits close behind at 12th of 869 (99th percentile, 5 stars) and is the district's reading standout: 85.6% all-grade reading, and 91.6% in 3rd grade reading, the highest grade-level reading result in the district. Its math (84.6%) trails Hilltop, but its 13.1 student-teacher ratio is the lowest among the general-education schools.

Westonka Middle School ranks 10th of 546 middle schools (98th percentile) with 74.5% math, 80.8% reading and 45.2% science; 5th grade is strongest (87.2% reading) and 6th grade the weakest band (67.1% math, 74.9% reading) before 7th grade rebounds. Westonka High School is the largest school at 895 students and ranks 10th of 473 high schools (98th percentile), with 66.3% math, 71.2% reading and 41.4% science, plus a 97.6% graduation rate and 1.1% dropout rate — far better than the state's 84.9% and 4.2%. Transition Plus, with just 10 students, a 5:1 ratio and 60% free/reduced lunch, has no rank or test history and is best considered separately.

Proficiency steps down by school level. In 2025–2026 all-grade math and reading, the elementaries lead (Hilltop 89.8% math / 85.0% reading; Shirley Hills 84.6% / 85.6%), the middle school follows (74.5% / 80.8%), and the high school comes in lowest (66.3% / 71.2%) — yet even that high-school math score is 21.4 points above the state's 44.9%. Every school and the district itself outperform the state in every subject reported.

Science is the relative weak spot, though still well above state: middle science is 45.2%, high school science 41.4% and district science 42.6%, against a state science mark of 25.5%. Westonka High's 8th grade science at 26.9% is the lowest displayed proficiency in the district, but still 10.2 points above state. Science also improved sharply from 2024–2025: middle rose from 34.47% to 45.2%, high school from 31.38% to 41.4%, and the district from 32.66% to 42.6% — roughly a 10-point gain at both levels.

Rank history is stable and very high, suggesting sustained performance rather than a single good year. Hilltop has been 4th two years running after 13th in 2023–2024; Shirley Hills remains top-12; Westonka Middle stays top-2% despite moving from 7th to 10th; and Westonka High improved from 15th to 11th to 10th. Families should note that the middle school's 6th-grade dip (67.1% math, 74.9% reading) is an internal pattern worth watching, and that Transition Plus is a distinct small high-support setting rather than a comparable comprehensive school.