Larpenteur Ave E
Maplewood, MN 55109

Johnson is a school with great potential, unfortunately this potential will not be realized for another 10 years. I would most definitely send my child here, but only because I want them to become street smart before entering college. I can attest to the quality of education Johnson provides to it's students, my family has had hundreds of Johnson graduates. The East Side community is the only thing holding this school together, so if you're comfortable with that mentality, then this is the school for you. If not, then I would look else where. The East Side has an extreme sense of identity, most of which has been lost or misconstrued into selfish pride on the current generations attending the school. Students with little supervision at home will struggle here! They will become subject to adult issues very rapidly and need much more attention than the school can afford. Get your child into the ROTC program! They may be ostracized by their peers a bit, but you won't regret it when they aren't repeating high school courses in college. Trust me on that! Some of the finest students in the city represent Johnson, but the same can be said about poorest performing students.

My daughter is special needs and has been beat up for it at this school! Kids try to get her to say and do awful things, teachers get upset that she is not Neuro typical and do not stick to her IEP. There were a couple kind teachers but they did not makeup for how awful this school is. My daughter repeated everything she hears she started cussing and using words she’s never said in her life so that she could be accepted. She eats alone at lunch and gets scolded for being herself. They don’t seem to understand what special needs require and do not have sped classes for mild to moderate. Do not bring your child here! She was in danger, tons of work thrown at her with judgement when she didn’t understand, no one knew she was being bullied, no one called me or informed me, if it wasn’t for those few teachers idk how my daughter would’ve survived. Worst school she’s ever been to by far!

Frost Lake is a hidden gem of a school! Some of the best school staff I've ever met. We had two children attend there. One who required intensive accommodations for mental health disability. The school works so hard to build an inclusive and welcoming community for not just students, but also families. Both our children were treated with care and respect. Our daughter is a 6th grader now and wanted to go back to visit the other day. Her second grade teacher instantly recognized her and was so warm and welcoming. She even asked if she could come to one of her volley ball games!