Irondale High School is a public high school located in New Brighton, Minnesota. A part of the Mounds View Public Schools district, the high school is located in a suburban area approximately ten miles north of downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Irondale made headlines in late 2011 when it introduced its Early College program, which began with the 2012-2013 school year. The program, run in conjunction with Anoka-Ramsey Community College, will allow students to graduate in four years with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree. This program prompted a visit from US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who praised Minnesota's efforts to further education.Irondale hosts grades 9-12, and was founded in 1967. It is one of two high schools in the Mounds View Public school district (621), the other being Mounds View High School.Academics and recognitionIrondale High School was named among the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report (top 15 in the state of Minnesota) for exceeding expectations when it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, and for preparing students for college.Irondale was listed in the top 5% of high schools in the country by Newsweek in 2010. This ranking is based on how much the faculty challenges students by offering AP/IB/Cambridge tests and college-level courses to students.
