Wakanda Virtual Academy Lower

Wakanda Virtual Academy Lower is a K–8 charter school serving 282 students at 1300 Olson Memorial Hwy on Minneapolis's North Side, part of the Harvest Best Academy district and sharing a campus with Best Academy. Statewide, it ranks 784 of 869 (10th percentile, 0 stars) in 2025‑2026, after 698 of 872 (20th percentile, 1 star) the year before and 806 of 881 (9th percentile, 0 stars) the year before that. About 87.59% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the reported student-teacher ratio jumped from 10.7 in 2023‑24 to 31.3 in 2024‑25.

Reading is this school's clear strength. At 30.6% proficiency it is the second-highest among the nine schools compared, behind only SET Academy Elementary's 34.3%, and it beats the district average by 5.4 points — in fact, Wakanda outperforms its district in reading at every grade tested, 3 through 8. Eighth grade reading (43.8%) is its best single result and approaches the state's 50%. Math (10.0%) matches the district (9.9%) but trails the state (44.9%) by nearly 35 points; 5th grade math is weakest at 3.1%. Science is the thinnest result at 3.2%, with 8th grade science at 0%.

Among nearby schools, Wakanda ranks fourth of eight overall but second in reading. Its closest peer is its own campus-mate, Best Academy, which posts lower math (9.3) and reading (22.0) but slightly higher science (3.9). Wakanda reports the highest student-teacher ratio in the comparison group (31.3). African American students and English Language Learner students both rank at the 30th percentile (2 stars), above the school's overall placement, though these figures swing sharply year to year. Notably, 2024‑25 was a peak year that did not hold: all three subjects fell in 2025‑26, with science sliding from 15.38% to 10.61% to 3.2% over three years. Reading also improves as students move up the grades, and the school's strongest results come in grades 6–8, where nearby families have the fewest alternatives.