Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists

I’m a parent of two former SPCPA students. My oldest attended for four years and graduated in 2025 (theatre). My youngest attended for one semester (visual art) before we moved out of state. Honestly, SPCPA is a mixed bag with many strengths you won’t find anywhere else in the metro alongside some real weaknesses. Whether it’s the correct fit for your child really depends on who *your* child is and their interests, abilities, and goals. The theatre program really punches above its weight for a high school arts curriculum. My child came out of it with legit skills and practical experience that I doubt they’d have gotten anywhere else in the metro other than Perpich. They are also super ADHD and passionate about theatre, so spending half their day in movement-heavy arts classes that aligned with their interests was a godsend. That said, my impression of the non-arts classes is that they are weak and becoming weaker every year. My younger child who is more academically minded was frustrated by the pace of her non-arts classes; and when she transferred to a mainstream suburban high school in another state, she had to play catchup in what should be universal 9th grade subjects. Although had we not moved, I suspect some of this could have been mitigated by PSEO options off campus for grades ten and up. I will say, however, that in four years at the school, my older child was exposed to a broader range of academic subject teachers. Several of them went above and beyond and are clearly super passionate about both their fields and teaching. Yet a few others were totally unprofessional—including an English teacher who played Mario Kart in class and ghosted her students midyear. A big issue is that there is pretty high turnover among teaching staff. J-term was a huge positive. Students are placed in arts productions in venues around the metro for the month of January. The level of some of these student productions is genuinely impressive. Both of my kids loved the open campus and the level of independence being downtown offered them. They each also made some great friends there and appreciated the small super LGBTQ+ positive community. Basically, do your research by talking to current parents and students in your child’s intended arts track. I really do think how good of a fit this school is depends highly on *your* individual child.

It’s a good school. Most of the teachers are good. We get to bring our own lunch. Students hold each other up that’s for sure!!! I don’t like all of the teachers I have. That’s ok. Jan 25, 2025: As I've been here longer since I started highschool here, this school has really grown on me. I've been in theatrical pieces. I've made a whole lot of new friends. I still like the teacher that I thought was cool since like week 3. Which is funny bc I didn't really like any teacher for the first month except him lol. I REALLY think I haven't had a great principal in a while since kindergarten lol. Now I have one again. NO HATE HERE!!!!! NO FIGHTS HERE!!!! I had all of that in my middle school experience. Idk what keeps all that away from here, but whatever it is....GOOD JOB! it's working. There is a little drama, but it goes away quickly!! Yes, I do miss one of my teachers from middle school that I would've had in high school. But from my friends, I heard that high school has A LOT more fights than middle school.

My freshman kid said her science teacher, Dustin, is amazing! She has multiple friends now than ever! So glad I sent her here.

3months left after 4years of going here i’m hanging in by the thread. The idea of this school is so beautiful including many teachers and students but the staff is so unprofessional and disrespectful to students and drains everything out of seniors, there’s no help to students we don’t have a guidance counselor or any help planning after graduation. It takes talented kids and uses them and steals their joy and ideas. Going to school where our funding is constantly taken away truly does have an impact on us and our health and our arts. Also we don’t have a nurse? or a custodian?

don’t listen to what any of the good reviews have to say, this school is seriously lacking in every department. musical theater is the only track the administration cares about. they pour money into sets, costumes, and j terms. meanwhile the visual arts track doesn’t have clay without mold in it, about ten pairs of scissors, not nearly enough materials for the amount of students in the track and not enough seating for some classes. (me personally i have had to sit on the floor for a 3 hour period.) This being said, you have to pay to be in visual arts. ( $25 per semester + an optional "art kit" for $40) I paid $100 in cash to pay for a year in my sophomore year…. and apparently there’s "no record of it" a similar thing had happened with multiple students. This school has no resources for the students, for instance a nurse, a janitor or a guidance counselor. i have had multiple injuries occur on campus and i couldn’t do anything but sit and wait to go home because the dean would call on our PERSONAL cell phones and leave voicemails to see where we are if we left. this school is not upstanding and not a worthwhile place to send your children. waste of money.

this school is bad.. you can tell some of the staff care a lot about the students, and i have made a lot of great friends and ive had a lot of fun here. but theres a lot of issues. there is no custodian or nurse in the school, there is no school lunch system, the dean of students cares more about catching students vaping than about repeated issues with sexual assault. i was among multiple some of the people who werent told they were missing required credits to graduate until the second semester of senior year. the building is shared with other people, and there are frequent plumbing and heating issues.

As a former spcpa student, This school is really good when your into your art of choice to help build skill in your art. But the administration at this school is seriously lacking. The administration lacks care, help, and empathy for there students. The dean of students, Alissa ableson, seriously lacks care, and empathy for her students. She provides no help while setting them up for failure. overall, my experience at this school would have been much better with a better dean of students.