Princeton Intermediate School

Princeton Intermediate School is a public school in Princeton, Minnesota — a small community in the northern Twin Cities area — serving roughly 675 students in grades 3 through 5 as part of the Princeton Public School District. It follows Princeton Primary School (PK–2) and operates alongside Princeton Online MN K-5 in the same district.

On state tests in 2025–2026, math and reading were the school's strengths: 56% of students were proficient in math (above the district's 45.5% and the state's 44.9%) and 51.5% in reading (above the district's 47.2% and the state's 48.6%). Science is the clear weak spot at 19.8%, below both district (24.1%) and state (25.5%) averages, and only fifth graders take it. Compared with nearby same-grade schools, Princeton Intermediate posts higher math and reading scores than Cambridge Intermediate School (math 55.4%, reading 43%) and Milaca Elementary (math 46.5%, reading 45%), and comes close to Westwood Elementary (math 56.6%, reading 53.6%) — even though Westwood belongs to the much higher-ranked Elk River Public School District. Foley Elementary reports much higher numbers, but it serves only grades PK–3, so it isn't a direct comparison.

The school is on an upward trend: proficiency and overall rankings have climbed over the past few years, from the 36th percentile in 2022–2023 to the 58th percentile in 2025–2026, though that is still below its 2017–2018 peak. It also stands out for how well it serves students from low-income families and students in special education, whose results rank well above the school's overall average. With 38.67% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and a student–teacher ratio of 15.3, the school serves a more disadvantaged population than Westwood or Cambridge Intermediate yet produces comparable or better math and reading results. The biggest opportunity for improvement remains science.