The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Becker Middle
Becker Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Becker Public School District, a regular public school in Sherburne County. The school sits in the city of Becker, a small exurban community about midway between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, oriented around U.S. Highway 10. The local economy has long been dominated by the Sherburne County Generating Station, a large coal-fired power plant that has accounted for a substantial share of the city’s tax base. That plant is scheduled to close by the end of the decade, and the city has already sought state aid in anticipation of the revenue loss. At the same time, Microsoft purchased a large parcel of land in early 2024 to build a data center, replacing an earlier plan by Google that fell through. The community is growing modestly, with owner-occupied housing the norm and a car-dependent layout where businesses cluster along the highway corridor.
The parent district recently undertook major capital construction projects, with significant building or renovation expenditures in the most recent fiscal year, signaling investment in school facilities. The district operates a campus-style arrangement, with Becker Middle School as one of several schools serving different grade bands.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with small shares of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, Black, Asian, and American Indian students. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate well below many Minnesota schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs.
On state assessments, performance varied by subject and grade. In mathematics, proficiency rates for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders each fell in a wide range, with sixth grade notably lower than the upper grades. In English language arts, sixth and seventh graders posted similar rates, while eighth graders were lower. Science results for eighth graders were markedly lower than both math and ELA. Only one year of data is available, so it is not possible to see a trend.
When placed alongside the other five school districts in Sherburne County, Becker Middle School’s overall proficiency—averaged across tested subjects and grades—sits below the midpoint of that group. This gives a general sense of where the school stands relative to its county peers, but proficiency rates alone do not capture the full picture of student growth, program quality, or supports.
The school’s website and program offerings were not included in the available data, so details on electives, extracurriculars, and academic tracks are unknown. Information on discipline, staffing levels, and attendance was also absent. For a family considering this school, following up directly with the school or district about what is offered beyond core academics would be a reasonable next step.
Becker Middle School sits in a community navigating a major economic transition, with a power plant closing and a tech data center coming in. The school itself has a predominantly white and relatively low-poverty student body, and its state test results place it a step behind the midpoint of Sherburne County districts. The district’s recent capital spending suggests facilities have received attention. For a family looking for a middle school in this exurban corridor, these are the key facts to weigh.
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