The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mazon-verona-kinsman Middle Sch
Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Middle School serves grades five through eight in a small village in Grundy County, with an enrollment that is entirely manageable in size. The school draws its student body almost entirely from the white population of the area, with a smaller Hispanic presence and very few students of other backgrounds. State testing data does not capture free-or-reduced-price lunch rates, special education enrollment, or English learner status, so a complete picture of student support needs is not available here.
The school's academic performance in math is weak across the grade band. Grade five reaches about one-third proficiency in math, with roughly two-thirds of students performing below grade level. By grade six, that drops to about one-seventh proficient, and grade seven sits at one-fifth. Eighth grade recovers slightly to roughly one-seventh. These are consistently low figures. English language arts shows more variation. Grade five reaches about one-half proficiency, grade six about one-third, grade seven bounces to about one-half again, and grade eight climbs to about two-thirds. Science proficiency in grade five is at two-fifths, and grade eight reaches about one-half. The school reports strong participation rates on all tested assessments, with nearly universal test-taking in grades six through eight and above nine-tenths participation in grade five.
Positioned against the districts in Grundy County, this school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. When a parent looks at the state test data across tested grades and subjects, the school's average performance falls well below the county median. This is a clear soft spot worth exploring directly with the school: what supports are in place for math remediation, how do teachers identify students who need extra help, and what does the school's intervention program look like. The particularly steep drop between grade five and grade six math proficiency may point to a transition challenge or a shift in curriculum intensity that a parent may want to understand better.
The school is a regular public school with no magnet or charter designation, serving a rural-suburban mix community where most families are homeowners and blue-collar work is common. The school does not serve a high school population, so no graduation rate is applicable. Program offerings beyond core academics, staffing patterns, attendance rates, and discipline data were not available in the provided information.
The district itself is small, serving only Mazon across two buildings: an elementary school for pre-K through fourth grade and this middle school for grades five through eight. No significant recent changes in curriculum, pedagogy, referendum activity, or strategic direction were documented in available public sources. A district strategic plan is reportedly in early development for implementation in a future year.
The community is small and stable, with a modest downtown and limited commercial activity. Housing values in the zip code are below state and national benchmarks, and the area supports working-class and professional families. For a family in this area seeking a middle school experience, Mazon-Verona-Kinsman is the local option, and the academic performance numbers suggest intentional and sustained intervention will be essential if a student arrives with math skills below grade level.
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