The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Marshall Middle School
Marshall Middle School serves fifth through eighth grade in the city of Marshall, a regional center in southwest Minnesota that is home to Southwest Minnesota State University and the headquarters of Schwan’s Company. The town functions as a retail, healthcare, and food-production hub for the surrounding agricultural area, and its economy includes major employers such as Archer Daniels Midland, Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center, and a mix of retail chains. Marshall has been growing, with an increase in estimated population since the 2020 census. Housing values in the area are below the statewide benchmark, and the typical single-family home is priced at a level that gives the local market a more moderate entry point than many parts of the state. The city’s schools are on separate campuses, and the district, which also operates two elementary schools, a high school, and an alternative learning center, did not show evidence of recent major referenda or curriculum overhauls in publicly available records.
The student body at Marshall Middle School is diverse. A little over half of the students are white, and the remaining share includes Hispanic students, Asian students, Black students, students of two or more races, and a small Native American population. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that positions the school as serving a substantial share of families with lower household incomes. Data on students with individualized education plans or English learner status was not available for this profile, so a parent who needs that information would want to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, the school’s math proficiency rates range from below half of students meeting the bar in sixth and seventh grade to just over half in fifth grade and close to six in ten in eighth grade. Reading proficiency is strongest in fifth grade, where about six in ten students scored proficient, but drops in sixth grade to roughly half and falls to about a third in seventh grade before recovering somewhat to about four in ten in eighth grade. Science results are notably lower: roughly one in five fifth graders scored proficient, and fewer than one in ten eighth graders did. The eighth-grade science result is a soft spot that warrants a conversation with the school about how science instruction is structured across grades and what support is available. The state changed the science assessment name and cut scores in the most recent year, so direct year-over-year comparisons are not possible. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Lyon County.
Because this is a middle school serving grades five through eight, there is no graduation rate to report. That is a structural gap, not a measure of school quality. The school does not serve high school grades, so a parent considering the full K-12 pathway should look to the district’s high school for that information.
No discipline, attendance, or staffing data was provided. A parent exploring this school should ask about class sizes, teacher experience, and how the school approaches student behavior and attendance. Program offerings beyond the core curriculum were also absent from the available data, so families interested in electives, music, arts, or advanced coursework in middle school grades will need to follow up with the school office.
Marshall Middle School sits in a town that combines college-town amenities with an industrial and agricultural economic base, and its student body reflects a community that is more diverse than many surrounding rural districts. The academic picture is mixed, with reading and math proficiency landing at or above the state average in some grades but well below in others, and science results are low enough to merit close attention. The school’s position within the county is in the lower half for overall proficiency, which gives a parent a reasonable basis to ask how the school is working to improve outcomes and what specific supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.
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