South St. Paul High School

Summary:

South St. Paul High School is a public high school serving 923 students in grades 9-12 in the South St. Paul Public School District. The school's student population is predominantly White (49.19%) and Hispanic (30.77%), with smaller percentages of African American, Asian, Native American, and multi-racial students.

Despite serving a diverse student body, South St. Paul High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Minnesota high schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger indicating below-average performance compared to other schools in the state. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with White and Hispanic students performing relatively better, while African American, multi-racial, English Language Learner, and Special Education students all rank in the bottom quartile or bottom 10% of Minnesota high schools. South St. Paul High School's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 84.4% to 95.5% in recent years, which is generally lower than the state average, and its dropout rate has fluctuated between 1.5% and 7.7%, which is higher than the state average.

Academically, South St. Paul High School's proficiency rates on the MCA-III assessments are significantly below the state averages in math, reading, and science. For example, in 2023-2024, only 13.86% of 11th graders were proficient in math, compared to the state average of 34.99%. While South St. Paul High School performs better than some nearby schools, such as Humboldt High School and Guadalupe Alternative Programs, it lags behind the state averages and high-performing outliers like Open World Learning Secondary, a magnet school in the Saint Paul Public Schools district.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 700 N 2nd St
       South Saint Paul, MN  55075-2062


(651) 457-9408

District: South St. Paul Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
286th of 480 Minnesota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,884 Help


Feeder schools for South St. Paul High School:

Elementary:    Kaposia Education Center Elementary
    Lincoln Center Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  19.2 Help
Number of students:  868

Racial breakdown:

White:
48.6%
Hispanic:
30.9%
African American:
8.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  51.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details South St. Paul High School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.76. (See more...)
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Compare Details South St. Paul High School ranks worse than 59.6% of high schools in Minnesota. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.29. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South St. Paul High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (48.6%), Hispanic (30.9%), African American (8.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 51.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South St. Paul High School is 19.2. (See more...)
Help
Compare South St. Paul High School employs 45.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at South St. Paul High School is $11,884.
Schooldigger 2019 Rankings:

South St. Paul High School:

SchoolDigger ranks South St. Paul High School 286th of 480 Minnesota public high schools. (See South St. Paul High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


South St. Paul Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks South St. Paul Public School District 360th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for South St. Paul High School?

Rank History for South St. Paul High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 49.10 247th 387 36.2%
2005 48.95 260th 396 34.3%
2006 53.98 225th 406 44.6%
2007 46.08 254th 403 37.0%
2008 40.00 298th 409 27.1%
2009 49.41 141st 230 38.7%
2010 50.41 270th 454 40.5%
2011 47.54 293rd 478 38.7%
2012 52.59 261st 469 44.3%
2013 57.53 202nd 488 58.6%
2014 50.98 257th 490 47.6%
2015 40.53 331st 516 35.9%
2016 34.14 370th 508 27.2%
2017 21.38 435th 523 16.8%
2018 23.33 424th 518 18.1%
2019 21.76 431st 533 19.1%
See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for South St. Paul High School

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Compare

Rank History for all high school students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 56.54 286th 433 33.9%
2005 66.56 219th 452 51.5%
2006 62.10 213th 450 52.7%
2007 67.63 174th 463 62.4%
2008 60.11 234th 460 49.1%
2009 67.12 93rd 234 60.3%
2010 56.04 290th 540 46.3%
2011 67.30 201st 545 63.1%
2012 71.40 163rd 539 69.8%
2013 62.44 227th 534 57.5%
2014 63.95 197th 483 59.2%
2015 76.30 108th 504 78.6%
2016 68.52 158th 489 67.7%
2017 60.83 221st 489 54.8%
2018 64.02 204th 494 58.7%
2019 60.21 226th 492 54.1%
2021 42.80 277th 428 35.3%
2022 46.78 279th 472 40.9%
2023 41.29 303rd 476 36.3%
2024 45.29 286th 480 40.4%
See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Multi-racial students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.61 52nd 59 11.9%
2019 23.58 53rd 66 19.7%
2022 1.74 74th 74 0.0%
2023 3.70 63rd 64 1.6%
2024 18.21 64th 72 11.1%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 94.26 1st 87 98.9%
2023 27.57 76th 90 15.6%
2024 29.59 77th 102 24.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.17 152nd 195 22.1%
2019 21.08 190th 220 13.6%
2022 55.20 92nd 214 57.0%
2023 21.81 183rd 216 15.3%
2024 38.30 149th 221 32.6%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.25 143rd 374 61.8%
2019 61.52 138th 370 62.7%
2021 56.07 116th 270 57.0%
2022 43.25 178th 312 42.9%
2023 36.56 271st 393 31.0%
2024 31.68 281st 389 27.8%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.05 142nd 395 64.1%
2019 57.87 188th 401 53.1%
2021 38.40 240th 339 29.2%
2022 39.73 268th 388 30.9%
2023 38.57 266th 396 32.8%
2024 32.74 292nd 403 27.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.27 242nd 398 39.2%
2019 47.23 244th 411 40.6%
2021 36.24 247th 351 29.6%
2022 41.29 258th 403 36.0%
2023 34.27 285th 398 28.4%
2024 46.30 237th 405 41.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.29 23rd 106 78.3%
2019 35.12 71st 103 31.1%
2022 42.02 52nd 102 49.0%
2023 30.72 69th 98 29.6%
2024 21.78 89th 109 18.3%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.95 24th 129 81.4%
2019 72.01 29th 132 78.0%
2021 53.52 39th 101 61.4%
2022 64.16 36th 135 73.3%
2023 51.46 58th 136 57.4%
2024 43.69 79th 145 45.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at South St. Paul High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.15 163rd 414 60.6%
2019 57.41 192nd 412 53.4%
2021 38.25 255th 364 29.9%
2022 53.32 204th 401 49.1%
2023 49.04 215th 398 46.0%
2024 54.44 188th 402 53.2%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

South St. Paul High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South St. Paul High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1332 6 13 18 3 n/a n/a 0 1372
1989 1299 6 9 22 3 n/a n/a 0 1339
1990 1329 6 13 19 5 n/a n/a 0 1372
1991 1324 8 22 28 5 n/a n/a 0 1387
1992 1367 6 17 39 7 n/a n/a 0 1436
1993 1407 14 20 59 3 n/a n/a 0 1503
1994 1406 9 16 61 6 n/a n/a 0 1498
1995 1494 13 20 80 12 n/a n/a 0 1619
1996 1494 13 20 80 12 n/a n/a 0 1619
1997 1563 12 27 88 12 n/a n/a 0 1702
1998 1587 18 28 100 8 n/a n/a 0 1741
1999 1613 18 30 89 8 n/a n/a 0 1758
2000 1612 17 27 91 7 n/a n/a 0 1754
2001 1568 22 28 88 8 n/a n/a 0 1714
2002 1478 46 19 142 11 n/a n/a 0 1696
2003 1478 46 19 142 11 n/a n/a 0 1696
2004 1429 54 18 144 14 n/a n/a 0 1659
2005 1304 64 19 166 15 n/a n/a 0 1568
2006 1199 90 17 187 17 n/a n/a 0 1510
2007 1228 78 17 186 13 n/a n/a 0 1522
2008 1192 78 15 198 14 n/a n/a 0 1497
2009 1139 81 19 208 13 n/a n/a 0 1460
2010 1033 88 33 229 14 n/a n/a 0 1397
2011 990 70 28 195 10 0 29 0 1322
2012 989 93 25 235 11 1 26 0 1380
2013 935 86 21 246 10 1 42 0 1341
2014 908 74 26 285 15 1 48 0 1357
2015 902 71 18 304 13 1 62 0 1371
2016 1056 101 34 423 14 0 83 0 1711
2017 1078 114 39 441 8 0 86 0 1766
2018 1026 113 30 449 7 0 102 0 1727
2019 952 120 35 471 9 0 119 0 1706
2020 894 149 30 465 9 0 135 0 1682
2021 485 71 21 246 6 0 67 0 896
2022 459 77 23 259 7 0 67 0 892
2023 454 78 22 284 7 0 78 0 923
2024 422 76 23 268 6 0 73 0 868

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South St. Paul High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1372 68.1 20.1 7.3
1989 1339 70.5 18.9 7.5
1990 1372 75.4 18.1 8.6
1991 1387 76.5 18.1 9
1992 1436 78.1 18.3 9
1993 1503 82.3 18.3 11.4
1994 1498 80.1 18.7 12.3
1995 1619 20.3 79.8 11.4
1996 1619 20.3 79.8 11.4
1997 1702 88.8 19.2 13.8
1998 1741 n/a 0.0 12.8
1999 1758 102.7 17.1 11.3
2000 1754 93.5 18.8 17.7
2001 1714 90.3 19.0 18.6
2002 1696 82.5 20.6 22.1
2003 1696 82.5 20.6 22.1
2004 1659 82.5 20.1 23.7
2005 1568 83.7 18.7 26.3
2006 1510 83.6 18.1 26.5
2007 1522 84.6 18.0 26.3
2008 1497 84.2 17.8 27.9
2009 1460 83.0 17.6 29.3
2010 1397 79.8 17.5 33.1
2011 1322 81.3 16.2 34.5
2012 1380 74.5 18.5 36.6
2013 1341 72.8 18.3 38.7
2014 1357 73.6 18.4 40.4
2015 1371 78.0 17.5 42
2016 1711 94.0 18.2 44.5
2017 1766 90.7 19.4 46.2
2018 1727 91.0 18.9 47
2019 1706 94.5 18.0 46
2020 1682 90.8 18.5 48
2021 896 39.5 22.6 41.5
2022 892 37.2 23.9 46.5
2023 923 37.5 24.5 54.9
2024 868 45.1 19.2 51.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio South St. Paul High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1372 68.1 20.1 7.3
1989 1339 70.5 18.9 7.5
1990 1372 75.4 18.1 8.6
1991 1387 76.5 18.1 9
1992 1436 78.1 18.3 9
1993 1503 82.3 18.3 11.4
1994 1498 80.1 18.7 12.3
1995 1619 20.3 79.8 11.4
1996 1619 20.3 79.8 11.4
1997 1702 88.8 19.2 13.8
1998 1741 n/a 0.0 12.8
1999 1758 102.7 17.1 11.3
2000 1754 93.5 18.8 17.7
2001 1714 90.3 19.0 18.6
2002 1696 82.5 20.6 22.1
2003 1696 82.5 20.6 22.1
2004 1659 82.5 20.1 23.7
2005 1568 83.7 18.7 26.3
2006 1510 83.6 18.1 26.5
2007 1522 84.6 18.0 26.3
2008 1497 84.2 17.8 27.9
2009 1460 83.0 17.6 29.3
2010 1397 79.8 17.5 33.1
2011 1322 81.3 16.2 34.5
2012 1380 74.5 18.5 36.6
2013 1341 72.8 18.3 38.7
2014 1357 73.6 18.4 40.4
2015 1371 78.0 17.5 42
2016 1711 94.0 18.2 44.5
2017 1766 90.7 19.4 46.2
2018 1727 91.0 18.9 47
2019 1706 94.5 18.0 46
2020 1682 90.8 18.5 48
2021 896 39.5 22.6 41.5
2022 892 37.2 23.9 46.5
2023 923 37.5 24.5 54.9
2024 868 45.1 19.2 51.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for South St. Paul High School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $11,884

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South St. Paul High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 226th of 492 High schoolsRanks 303rd of 476 High schools
 17.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade Reading (South St. Paul High School)58.235.9
 22.3%
   10th Grade Reading (South St. Paul Public School District)56.635.9
 20.7%
   10th Grade Reading (Minnesota)60.451.7
 8.7%
11th Grade Math (South St. Paul High School)39.326
 13.3%
   11th Grade Math (South St. Paul Public School District)36.222.8
 13.4%
   11th Grade Math (Minnesota)4536
 9%
End of Course Science (South St. Paul High School)51.835.8
 16%
   End of Course Science (South St. Paul Public School District)50.236.2
 14%
   End of Course Science (Minnesota)54.441.8
 12.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1706923
 45.9%
African American12078
 35%
American Indian97
 22.2%
Asian3522
 37.1%
Hispanic471284
 39.7%
Pacific Islander00
White952454
 52.3%
Two or More Races11978
 34.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients46%54.9%
 9%


Schools Near South St. Paul High School









Frequently Asked Questions about South St. Paul High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 868 students attended South St. Paul High School.

Students at South St. Paul High School are 49% White, 31% Hispanic, 9% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

South St. Paul High School ranks 286th of 480 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

South St. Paul High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kaposia Education Center Elementary
Elementary : Lincoln Center Elementary


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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.





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