Twin Lakes STEM Academy

Twin Lakes STEM Academy is a K–8 charter school at 6201 Noble Ave N in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, serving 217 students as its own single-school district in a part of the Twin Cities metro where nearly every family qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch (99.08% in 2024–25, the highest rate among nearby schools).

Statewide, the school has sat in the bottom decile for a decade: in 2025–26 it ranked 819 of 869 Minnesota schools (6th percentile, 0 stars), and across nine reported years it never rose above the 12th percentile. In 2025–26, 16.0% of students tested proficient in math (state: 44.9%), 25.5% in reading (state: 48.6%), and 0% in science — a genuine reported zero, not a suppressed figure. Both math and reading improved over the prior year and were the best in four years of available detail, yet the school's relative rank still slipped from the 8th to the 6th percentile. Nearby, Fair Oaks Elementary (39.9% math) and Northport Elementary (28.4%) post higher math results, and Garden City Elementary (24.1%), Prairie Seeds Elementary School Academy, Zanewood Community School STEAM, Brooklyn Center Elementary School (10.9%) and Excell Academy Charter all score lower in reading despite serving fewer low-income families.

Reading is the clearest strength, especially in the upper grades: 46.2% of 7th graders were proficient — the only figure in the school's data that exceeds the state average — and 8th grade reading reached 40.0%, while grades 3–5 lag far behind. Staffing is the tightest in the area at about 11.4 students per teacher. Among student groups, English language learners rated at the 50th percentile with 3 stars, a sharp jump from the prior year, and low-income students track near the school's overall standing, while female students' relative results have ranked near the bottom statewide. Science is the standout concern: proficiency fell from 24.14% in 2022–23 to 20.0%, then 8.33%, then 0% — an awkward result for a school branded as a STEM academy.