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Golden Lake Elementary

Q: Is Golden Lake Elementary a good school?

Golden Lake Elementary ranks 301 st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

301^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Golden Lake Elementary is a pre-kindergarten through 5th-grade school at 1 School Rd in Circle Pines, Minnesota, a northern Twin Cities suburb, serving 394 students in the Centennial Public School District.

Academically, Golden Lake is a mid-pack school that ranks 301 of 869 Minnesota elementary schools — the 65th percentile with 3 stars — roughly where it sat before 2021. Math is its clear strength: 61.8% of students met standards, above both the district (56.5%) and the state (44.9%). Reading is 55.4%, essentially at the district line and about 7 points above the state. Science is the standout concern at 19.0% — the lowest of any nearby school reporting science, well below the district's 28.6% and the state's 25.5%. That figure comes from the fifth grade, the one class below district in both reading (46.0% vs. 66.7%) and science (19.0% vs. 31.7%); third and fourth grades are at or above district in reading, and 4th-grade math (77.4%) is more than 22 points above the state.

Compared with neighbors, Golden Lake is the smallest K–5 in its district cluster and has the lowest student-teacher ratio among the district's elementaries (13.9, versus 15.0–16.9 at Centennial Elementary, Blue Heron Elementary, and Rice Lake Elementary). It outperforms higher-poverty schools nearby — Pinewood Elementary and Sunnyside Elementary in Mounds View Public School District, and Centerview Elementary in Spring Lake Park Public Schools — but trails lower-poverty neighbors Rice Lake Elementary and Turtle Lake Elementary, which rank in the 95th–97th percentile. Worth noting: the school has ranked as high as 9th of 303 schools statewide for English language learners, and reached the 84th percentile for special education students in 2024–25, though results across several groups eased in the most recent year.

394

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,470

Per pupil spending ?

38.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

90.8%

Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (2025-26)

Exemptions: 9.2% (MMR)

1 School Rd
Circle Pines, MN 55014-1786

(763) 792-5900

District: Centennial Public School District

Students who attend Golden Lake Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Centennial Middle
High:	Centennial High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.4%

Hispanic:

11.9%

African American:

10.9%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Golden Lake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 64th percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (53% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Above the Minnesota median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Centennial Public School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg52%

Minnesota avg43%

301^st of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Centennial Public School District

58^th of 458Centennial Public School District among Minnesota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	64.6	301 of 869	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.9	244 of 872	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	217 of 881	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	79.4	147 of 845	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	78.8	153 of 858	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	72.0	229 of 869	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	71.9	229 of 870	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	283 of 847	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.7	287 of 853	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.4	303 of 848	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.2	400 of 840	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	70.2	243 of 826	70.6%	★★★★☆
2013	78.4	128 of 824	84.5%	★★★★☆
2012	75.8	144 of 820	82.4%	★★★★☆
2011	77.3	120 of 814	85.3%	★★★★☆
2010	71.9	197 of 803	75.5%	★★★★☆
2009	52.3	247 of 434	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	69.7	204 of 781	73.9%	★★★★☆
2007	61.0	329 of 777	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.3	303 of 756	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	71.4	177 of 685	74.2%	★★★★☆
2004	71.8	165 of 676	75.6%	★★★★☆
2003	76.6	107 of 674	84.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.6	109 of 315	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	79.3	41 of 298	86.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	40.2	87 of 154	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	87 of 305	71.5%	★★★★☆
2025	60.4	72 of 303	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	91.8	9 of 303	97.0%	★★★★★
2023	96.9	1 of 276	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	68.3	45 of 242	81.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	66.5	252 of 790	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.8	267 of 799	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.5	257 of 809	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.5	138 of 787	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	77.2	145 of 799	81.9%	★★★★☆
2021	71.8	200 of 783	74.5%	★★★★☆
2019	69.9	227 of 787	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	226 of 774	70.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	125 of 256	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	94.8	4 of 220	98.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	344 of 764	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	79.2	97 of 764	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	66.9	233 of 793	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	66.7	226 of 774	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	73.7	118 of 663	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	77.4	95 of 683	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	67.4	208 of 740	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	214 of 728	70.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	56.5	360 of 807	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.2	211 of 812	74.0%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	163 of 826	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	174 of 799	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	74.6	178 of 808	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	65.3	274 of 784	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.8	223 of 798	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	60.8	347 of 779	55.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	202 of 579	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.8	89 of 562	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	70.5	117 of 572	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	68.5	124 of 524	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	84.0	42 of 500	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	76.9	59 of 417	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	56.7	218 of 515	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.6	111 of 463	76.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	187 of 710	73.7%	★★★★☆
2025	79.0	104 of 714	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	79.8	103 of 730	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	82.1	88 of 712	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	84.4	57 of 725	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	69.7	177 of 710	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	61.4	264 of 722	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	378 of 712	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)74th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)68th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)65th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)65th percentile~ school

Male (2026)55th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2024)44th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math62%+17 vs state

Reading55%+7 vs state

Science19%-6 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Golden Lake Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)							MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)							Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Golden Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 School Rd	Circle Pines	55014	Anoka County	Centennial Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 792-5900	394	28	13.9	38.3%	230 (58.4%)	43 (10.9%)	47 (11.9%)	39 (9.9%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.9%)	64.6	301^st of 869 public elementary schools	65.4%		71.9	244^th of 872 public elementary schools	72.0%	57	60.8	60.7	46.0				55.4	19.0		19.0	63.5	77.4	45.3				61.8	90.8%	9.2%	$12,470
Centennial Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4657 North Rd	Circle Pines	55014	Anoka County	Centennial Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 792-5300	502	33	15.0	46.6%	260 (51.8%)	112 (22.3%)	33 (6.6%)	54 (10.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.0%)	63.4	311^th of 869 public elementary schools	64.2%		68.1	291^st of 872 public elementary schools	66.6%	20	57.6	51.6	54.7				54.1	21.6		21.6	71.2	64.2	40.0				58.1	90%	8.6%	$11,377
Turtle Lake Elementary	Public	1-5	1141 Lepak Ct	Shoreview	55126	Ramsey County	Mounds View Public School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 621-7700	985	66	15.0	13.2%	723 (73.4%)	33 (3.4%)	53 (5.4%)	93 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (8.4%)	90.6	40^th of 869 public elementary schools	95.4%		87.8	65^th of 872 public elementary schools	92.5%	25	67.4	70.1	71.3				69.7	47.7		47.7	83.8	76.5	64.6				74.7			$11,995
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	575 Birch Street	Lino Lakes	55014	Anoka County	Centennial Public School District	No	No	No	No	(763) 792-6040	109	10	10.9	35.8%	66 (60.6%)	9 (8.3%)	10 (9.2%)	13 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (10.1%)								(n/a)																				$32,396
Rice Lake Elementary	Public	K-5	575 Birch St	Lino Lakes	55014	Anoka County	Centennial Public School District	No	No	No	No	(763) 792-5700	687	41	16.9	11.8%	559 (81.4%)	17 (2.5%)	33 (4.8%)	36 (5.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.8%)	93.5	27^th of 869 public elementary schools	96.9%		94.2	19^th of 872 public elementary schools	97.8%	8	63.1	78.5	79.5				73.7	50.4		50.4	79.0	89.2	74.2				80.8	89.8%	10.2%	$10,505
Pinewood Elementary	Public	1-5	5500 Quincy St	Mounds View	55112	Ramsey County	Mounds View Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 621-7500	523	44	11.7	52.2%	245 (46.8%)	72 (13.8%)	68 (13.0%)	82 (15.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (10.3%)	47.5	496^th of 869 public elementary schools	42.9%		44.6	524^th of 872 public elementary schools	39.9%	28	31.3	43.9	48.6				41.4	30.6		30.6	42.4	50.0	49.1				47.2			$13,820
Blue Heron Elementary	Public	K-5	405 Elm St	Lino Lakes	55014	Anoka County	Centennial Public School District	No	No	No	No	(763) 792-6200	707	42	16.6	25.3%	514 (72.7%)	55 (7.8%)	32 (4.5%)	57 (8.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.6%)	78.1	165^th of 869 public elementary schools	81.0%		78.7	160^th of 872 public elementary schools	81.7%	5	51.4	58.8	72.8				61.4	34.7		34.7	62.5	66.1	68.3				65.7	95.7%	4.3%	$10,644
Oak Hill Montessori Community	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4665 Hodgson Rd	Shoreview	55126	Ramsey County	Oak Hill Montessori Community	Yes	No	No	No	(651) 484-8242	166	15	10.8	10.2%	132 (79.5%)	4 (2.4%)	8 (4.8%)	11 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.6%)	61.8	327^th of 869 public elementary schools	62.4%		65.7	318^th of 872 public elementary schools	63.5%	9	50.0	70.0	77.8	41.2	80.0	71.4	65.4	50.0	42.9	46.9	44.4	45.0	44.4	29.4	70.0	42.9	46.7	94.4%	5.6%
Snail Lake Kindergarten Center	Public	PK-K	350 Highway 96 West	Shoreview	55126	Ramsey County	Mounds View Public School District	No	No	No	No	(651) 621-8000	357	19	19.0	17.4%	241 (67.5%)	19 (5.3%)	15 (4.2%)	44 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	37 (10.4%)								(n/a)																		94.9%	2.8%	$13,650
Sunnyside Elementary	Public	1-5	2070 County Road H West	New Brighton	55112	Ramsey County	Mounds View Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 621-7600	498	41	12.0	52.4%	249 (50.0%)	69 (13.9%)	88 (17.7%)	45 (9.0%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (8.2%)	44.1	527^th of 869 public elementary schools	39.4%		48	496^th of 872 public elementary schools	43.1%	31	38.9	33.0	46.7				39.5	21.9		21.9	49.5	50.0	50.5				50.0			$15,287

Frequently Asked Questions about Golden Lake Elementary

How many students attend Golden Lake Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 394 students attended Golden Lake Elementary.

Is Golden Lake Elementary a good school?

Golden Lake Elementary ranks 301^st of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Golden Lake Elementary attend?

Students who attend Golden Lake Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Centennial Middle
High : Centennial High School

What district is Golden Lake Elementary in?

Centennial Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Golden Lake Elementary?

Students at Golden Lake Elementary are 58% White, 12% Hispanic, 11% African American, 10% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Rate Golden Lake Elementary!

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.