Summary:
ZIP code 55368 in Norwood Young America, Minnesota is served by three public schools, all part of the Central Public School District: Central Elementary (PK–5, 413 students), Central Middle (6–8, 216 students), and Central Senior High (9–12, 337 students). Together they enroll 966 students, with the elementary school the largest at about 42.8% of the total. The district ranks 125 of 458 in Minnesota, at the 73rd percentile with 4 stars.
Central Elementary is the clear academic standout. In 2025–2026 it beat both the district and the state in all three subjects: math 66.3% (district 47.6%, state 44.9%), reading 58.9% (district 55.4%, state 48.6%), and science 34.5% (district 22.9%, state 25.5%). Its 4th-grade math score of 73% is the highest single proficiency figure in the ZIP. Its rank improved from 54th percentile with 3 stars in 2023–2024 to 80th percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026. Notably, it posts the strongest results while also having the highest free/reduced lunch rate in the ZIP (31.23%).
Central Middle is the most stable by rank (64th percentile, 3 stars), with reading above state in every tested grade, but science is its clear weakness at 12.2% — 13.3 points below state — and math falls below state in every middle grade. Central Senior High has strong completion outcomes (94.1% graduation, 2.3% dropout, both better than state), but proficiency dropped sharply, with reading falling from 67.9% to 46.6%, and its rank sliding from 90th percentile with 5 stars to 56th percentile with 3 stars. Across the ZIP, math proficiency drops sharply after elementary school (66.3% vs. 35% and 36.1%), science dips hardest in middle school, and student/teacher ratios rise with grade level (14.2, 15.9, 17.3).
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