Janesville-waldorf-pemberton Sec, Janesville MN

Original Research by School Decision on Janesville-waldorf-pemberton Sec

Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Secondary is the public school serving seventh through twelfth grade in this small Waseca County community. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and the sole secondary campus for the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton district. The enrollment is small, a little over three hundred students, and the student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a homogeneous peer environment typical of rural Minnesota — a close-knit setting where most families know one another.

The town of Janesville itself is a compact, primarily residential community with a small downtown along Main Street. The local economy leans on manufacturing, health care, and retail. Housing is affordable relative to both state and national medians, and the village has seen slow but steady growth in recent years. For a family considering a move, this is a place where a modest home is within reach and the school is central to community life. U.S. Highway 14 runs just south of town, making regional connections manageable. The district did not report any recent major changes or initiatives; publicly available information shows a steady picture.

Academically, the school’s performance sits above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Waseca County. On state assessments, results vary by subject and grade. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency is solid across seventh and eighth grades. In English language arts, seventh-graders perform notably well, while eighth-grade reading proficiency is softer — a gap a prospective parent may want to discuss with the school. Science proficiency in eighth grade is low; parents should be aware that this is an area where the school may be working to improve. Only one year of assessment data is available, so there is no basis for a trend.

State testing data covers only the middle grades, so the full secondary picture is incomplete. Graduation rate information was not reported, which is a significant gap for a school that sends students through twelfth grade. A family moving into the district should ask the school directly about its four-year graduation rate, as that metric is a standard indicator of high school success. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and advanced coursework offerings were also absent from the available records. Without that information, it is difficult to judge the full academic pathway, including whether Advanced Placement, dual-credit, or career and technical programs are available.

What can be said with confidence: Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Secondary is a small, traditional public school in a rural small town where housing costs are manageable and the student body is relatively homogeneous. On the measures that are available — middle-grades math and reading — the school generally performs well compared to its county peers, with some soft spots in eighth-grade literacy and science. The missing data on high school outcomes and program breadth means a parent should plan to visit and ask pointed questions about graduation rates, advanced coursework, and support for students who struggle. For families who value a tight-knit community and are comfortable with limited school-choice options, this school offers a plausible option worth investigating further.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 40 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 762%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 37 pts above state median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 37 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 38 pts above state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Science

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 17%

▲ 5 pts above state median

This schoolJANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON, 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-income55%Higher-income77%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income70%Higher-income75%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income62%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income67%17 pp gap