Cedar Mountain Secondary, Morgan MN

Original Research by School Decision on Cedar Mountain Secondary

Cedar Mountain Secondary is a regular public school in Morgan, Minnesota, serving grades six through twelve. It belongs to the Cedar Mountain School District and sits in a small, rural city with a traditional agricultural character. The school is neither a charter nor a magnet institution. Because it serves all secondary grades, a parent moving into the area should expect a single building for middle and high school years.

The school’s academic picture, based on state assessments from a recent year, shows overall proficiency on math and English language arts that places Cedar Mountain Secondary in the bottom quarter relative to other districts in Redwood County. In the middle grades, the share of students meeting state standards in math and reading was mixed, with some grade levels closer to a moderate rate and others below it. Eighth-grade results in both subjects were notably lower than the school’s sixth- and seventh-grade results. Science proficiency in eighth grade was very low, a point a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand curriculum and support. Only one year of test data was available for trend comparison, so it is not possible to see whether performance has shifted over time. Graduation rate information was not reported, which is another topic a family might wish to clarify directly.

The student body is predominantly white, with a small but measurable share of American Indian students, a smaller Hispanic presence, and an even smaller number of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the community. Enrollment is modest in size, with roughly similar numbers across most secondary grade levels. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not provided, leaving an information gap for families who need to evaluate special education or language support programs.

Morgan itself is a small rural city in southwestern Minnesota. It was founded around the railroad and retains a compact traditional grid. The housing stock is affordable, with typical home values well below both the state and national medians. Most residents commute by car, and the homeownership rate is high. The local economy centers on health care, manufacturing, and retail trade. The city’s population has seen a slight decline over recent years, and no major new housing or commercial developments were identified. This suggests a stable but not growing community, where schools are likely to maintain rather than expand enrollment.

No recent district-level changes — such as building referendums, curriculum overhauls, or budget shifts — were found in publicly reported sources. That may mean the district has been operating without major disruption, but it also means a family should ask about current priorities and upcoming plans directly.

Cedar Mountain Secondary is a small rural school serving a broad secondary range in a community that is slowly depopulating and economically modest. Its academic results, relative to other districts in the county, are on the lower end across tested subjects. For a family that values a close-knit school environment with a manageable size and a straightforward rural setting, this school may be a reasonable fit, but the performance data suggests that a careful conversation about academic support and postsecondary pathways is warranted.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 39 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

649 schools plotted. 88 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▲ 1 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 16 pts below state median

Science

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 8%

▼ 4 pts below state median

This schoolCEDAR MOUNTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income55%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income10%Higher-income46%36 pp gap