Demographics of St. Paul Highland and other high schools (Minneapolis: middle-class, homes)

[northsub]

I posted this as another thread, but it is probably more appropriate as its own thread.

I was looking at the demographics of St. Paul's Highland Park high school. The state of Minnesota Education Department data claims the school is 35.9% white.

But, if you look at census data the census tracts that make up the school's attendance area give a population that is 87% white and with the under 18 population being 76% white. [The census tracts do include a small area outside of the attendance area and miss a small area, but it seems unlikely those areas are big enough or different enough to affect the overall numbers.]

What is going on here? I'm wondering if open enrollment is really that big of a factor? Or maybe many of the white students in the area go to different high schools? Or maybe there's a really big difference in the high school age demographics in the attendance area compared to the elementary school age demographics?

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by northsub

I posted this as another thread, but it is probably more appropriate as its own thread.

I was looking at the demographics of St. Paul's Highland Park high school. The state of Minnesota Education Department data claims the school is 35.9% white.

But, if you look at census data the census tracts that make up the school's attendance area give a population that is 87% white and with the under 18 population being 76% white. [The census tracts do include a small area outside of the attendance area and miss a small area, but it seems unlikely those areas are big enough or different enough to affect the overall numbers.]

What is going on here? I'm wondering if open enrollment is really that big of a factor? Or maybe many of the white students in the area go to different high schools? Or maybe there's a really big difference in the high school age demographics in the attendance area compared to the elementary school age demographics?

Most people that want good schools in that area send their kids to private schools like Cretin or SPA.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Most people that want good schools in that area send their kids to private schools like Cretin or SPA.

I'd imagine that that is the case, although Highland is by no means a bad school. St. Paul used to be pretty liberal in its allowances for kids to choose high schools outside of their own neighborhoods, too, but they were trying to get away from that and back to "neighborhood schools" a few years back...

[Globe199]

What's the white / minority graduation breakdown at Highland?

[MarcyHolmesMaven]

My niece and nephew (both white and middle-class) are recent Highland grads. They are high achievers and both had very good experiences at Highland. But the big thing about St. Paul is that overall, it is very Catholic, much more so than Minneapolis (where I live). Schools, sports and social connections are very much organized according to what parish you attend. I have many friends with high-school-age kids in St. Paul, and they all started their kids at K-8 Catholic schools and then ended up continuing with Catholic high schools like Cretin, St. Thomas Academy and Visitation. A few other St. Paul friends have sent their kids to SPA, which draws from the whole east metro area.

I'll also add that I've had a few non-Catholic friends who bought lovely homes in very nice St. Paul neighborhoods who ended up feeling like it was harder than they expected to make social connections because they weren't tied into the whole church-school-sports network.

That's why I think St. Paul high schools end up being out-of-sync demographically with their surrounding residential neighborhoods.

[MacGrover]

Originally Posted by northsub

I posted this as another thread, but it is probably more appropriate as its own thread.

I was looking at the demographics of St. Paul's Highland Park high school. The state of Minnesota Education Department data claims the school is 35.9% white.

But, if you look at census data the census tracts that make up the school's attendance area give a population that is 87% white and with the under 18 population being 76% white. [The census tracts do include a small area outside of the attendance area and miss a small area, but it seems unlikely those areas are big enough or different enough to affect the overall numbers.]

What is going on here? I'm wondering if open enrollment is really that big of a factor? Or maybe many of the white students in the area go to different high schools? Or maybe there's a really big difference in the high school age demographics in the attendance area compared to the elementary school age demographics?

Currently there are a number of minority students attending Highland from outside the attendance area.
The district and attendance areas are being re-structured for next school year so it's hard to determine what the exact demographic mix will be.
My kids attended Highland and did very well. They also enjoyed the mix of strudents.
I actually moved them from private schools to attend Highland because I thought it would be better for them. I did not miss writing that tuition check either.