The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cambridge Middle School
Cambridge Middle School serves students in sixth through eighth grade as a regular public school and is part of the Cambridge-Isanti Public School District. The school’s enrollment makes it a mid-sized middle school by Minnesota standards. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Asian, Hispanic, Black, multiracial, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that positions the school near the middle of the range on this measure. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available in the source provided.
On state assessments, Cambridge Middle School’s proficiency rates show a clear upward pattern across the three middle grades. In math, proficiency climbs from below half of sixth graders to nearly six in ten seventh graders, to roughly two-thirds of eighth graders. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: about half of sixth graders are proficient, roughly half of seventh graders, and over six in ten eighth graders. In eighth-grade science, just under three in ten students met the proficiency standard, though it is worth noting that Minnesota introduced a new science assessment in this period, making direct comparisons to prior years difficult. When measured against other districts in Isanti County, the school’s overall proficiency across subjects and grades places it in the top quartile. This is a relative strength within the local context.
As a middle school, it does not have a graduation rate to report, nor do the data include chronic absenteeism figures. The school does not appear to offer the kind of AP or dual-credit coursework that high schools provide, which is typical for a grade six through eight building.
The school is located in Cambridge, which is the county seat of Isanti County and operates as a regional commercial and service hub for the broader area. Cambridge has a dense suburban feel by local standards, with most residents owning their homes, though the population density is low for an incorporated city. The city sits at the junction of two state highways, and the Rum River runs through its center. The downtown core has a traditional main-street feel with the city hall, library, and regional library branch clustered in the area. The Cambridge Medical Center is the most prominent employer, and the school district itself employs a significant number of local staff.
Cambridge is growing rapidly. The population has increased substantially from the 2020 census to the 2024 estimate. Resident reviews describe large apartment complexes and housing developments being built quickly, and some residents note traffic congestion from the pace of growth. The city has an Economic Development Authority that meets regularly. In response to the expanding school population, the district built new schools in the recent past, including the current Cambridge Middle School campus located on Xylite Street NE, somewhat outside the immediate downtown core. The Cambridge campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College is about a mile north of the city center, offering a postsecondary presence nearby. A parent reading about this school will see it as the central middle school for a growing, car-oriented community where the school district is hiring and building to keep up with demand. The academic profile shows strength in math and reading relative to other schools in the county, particularly in the upper middle grades, while science proficiency is an area a parent may want to follow up on with the school as the new assessment becomes more established.
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