South St. Paul Public School District

The South St. Paul Public School District serves roughly 2,790 students in five schools located just south of St. Paul, Minnesota: two elementary schools (PK–5), one middle school (6–8), and two high schools (grades 9–12 and 7–12). The district ranks 318th of 458 in Minnesota — the 31st percentile — with 2 stars.

South St. Paul High School is the district's strongest performer on high school measures. Its graduation rate is 93.0% (vs. the district's 77.5% and the state's 84.9%), its dropout rate is 2.6%, and its science proficiency of 26.6% is the only reported school-subject score in the district above the state average. Math (17.3%) and reading (38.4%) remain below state levels, however. South St. Paul Middle School is the fastest-improving school, climbing from the 23rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 38th in 2025–2026 and earning 2 stars; its reading score, 42.6%, is above the district average. Lincoln Center Elementary is the strongest elementary overall, with math at 40.3% and reading at 41.2%. Kaposia Education Center Elementary posts 37.0% in math but trails the district in reading (37.6%) and has the highest free/reduced lunch rate among elementaries, 70.16%.

Across most tested subjects, district scores sit below Minnesota averages — district math is 28.7% vs. the state's 44.9%, reading 40.6% vs. 48.6%, and science 19.1% vs. 25.5%. S St. Paul Community Learning Cntr. is the clear outlier: 99 students, an 84.85% free/reduced lunch rate, a 35.2% graduation rate, 4.4% dropout, and 0% math proficiency; its science results are suppressed by the state, so no conclusion can be drawn there. Its small size means percentages can swing widely, so it is best viewed separately. Overall, parents will find bright spots in high school graduation, dropout, and science outcomes and in the middle school's upward trend, while math and science in the earlier grades remain areas of concern.