The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Math. The lowest is 44% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School is a single-grade public school serving only sixth grade in North Platte, Nebraska. Part of the North Platte Public Schools district, it is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status. Because it serves only one grade and does not extend into high school, there is no graduation rate to report and no state testing data for grade levels it does not teach. The school’s student body is small for a middle-school grade band, and the demographic profile is predominantly white, with Hispanic students forming the next largest group. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic need is present in the student population. The school did not report data on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the availability and structure of special education and language support services.
On state assessments for sixth grade, Madison Middle School’s math proficiency rate sits at a level that is moderately strong, with a majority of students meeting the state’s bar for grade-level performance. English language arts proficiency is lower; fewer than half of students reached the same benchmark in that subject. The overall proficiency index across tested subjects places the school in the bottom quartile among districts in Lincoln County, meaning that when compared to other schools in the same county, its combined math and ELA performance is on the lower end. A parent reviewing these results should note that the comparison is limited to county districts, a set that includes a range of schools, and should weigh the single-grade data point accordingly. The trend data available covers a single year, so there is no reliable multi-year trajectory to describe. This is a school where academic attainment in reading is a clear area to explore further with the school’s staff.
North Platte is a railroad town built around Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, the world’s largest rail classification yard. The city’s largest employer is Union Pacific, and a major new industrial development, the Sustainable Beef meatpacking plant, opened in spring 2025. Other large employers include Great Plains Health and a Walmart distribution center. The town’s character is a mix of residential neighborhoods, an auto-oriented commercial corridor near the I-80 and U.S. 83 interchange, and a more walkable downtown core called the Canteen District. Civic anchors include Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, the Golden Spike Tower, and the Lincoln County Historical Museum. The population has been relatively stable over recent decades, and the city describes itself as growing with a focus on business attraction and new homebuilding. Housing values in the area are below the state benchmark, and rents are moderate relative to national medians. The local unemployment rate and median household income track close to national averages.
North Platte Public Schools did not yield notable recent changes from publicly available sources, so there is no district-level initiative or restructuring to report. The school building itself, located on North Madison Street, sits within a district that serves the entire city and its surrounding area. For a family considering sixth grade here, the key takeaway is a school with a single-grade focus, a student body that is largely white and economically diverse, math performance that is decent, ELA performance that is weaker than many county peers, and limited publicly available detail on special populations and support services. A parent who values strong reading outcomes or wants detailed information on special education and English learning programs would likely want to contact the school directly to understand what is available.
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