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Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School

Q: Is Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School a good school?

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School ranks 143 rd of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

143^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 58% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 5-8 in Sanborn, Iowa, with 171 students enrolled. The school is part of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District, which is ranked 138 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School has consistently strong test scores, often outperforming the state average in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, the school has a higher rate of chronic absenteeism compared to the state average and the nearby Sheldon Middle School. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 47.67% to 54.39%, which is higher than the 44.83% at Sheldon Middle School.

When compared to Sheldon Middle School, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School has a higher spending per student ($30,374 vs. $13,653) and a lower student-teacher ratio (13.1 vs. 14.5). This suggests that the school is allocating more resources to support its students, but the impact on academic performance is not as pronounced as one might expect. The school's persistent issue of chronic absenteeism is an area that it may need to address to further improve student outcomes.

165

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,374

Per pupil spending ?

50.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

509 Main St.
Sanborn, IA 51248-0557

(712) 930-3281

District: Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District

Students who attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School

Feeder schools for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School:

Elementary:

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.2%

Hispanic:

15.2%

African American:

1.8%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 51st percentile in 2015 → 58th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Iowa median (58th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school75%

District avg75%

Iowa avg72%

143^rd of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 7 pts since 2015

From top 49% (2015) to top 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

138^th of 313Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	59.7	143 of 344	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.1	56 of 337	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	62.1	130 of 334	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.0	206 of 337	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.7	123 of 324	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.9	110 of 342	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	139 of 318	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	38.4	239 of 327	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.9	255 of 343	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	56.4	170 of 349	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.1	170 of 337	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.3	146 of 350	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	44.6	224 of 349	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts81%+6 vs state

Science76%+9 vs state

Mathematics69%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School	Public	5-8	509 Main St.	Sanborn	51248	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 930-3281	165	13	12.7	50.3%	134 (81.2%)	3 (1.8%)	25 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	59.7	143^rd of 344 public middle schools	58.4%		76.1	56^th of 337 public middle schools	83.4%	87	69.0	77.8	87.5	91.1	64.3	62.2	70.8	80.0	71.4	80.0	$30,374	$160	$30,215
Sheldon Middle School	Public	5-8	310 23rd Avenue	Sheldon	51201	O'Brien County	Sheldon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 324-4346	312	24	13.0	37.2%	216 (69.2%)	8 (2.6%)	77 (24.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	5 (1.6%)	74.1	59^th of 344 public middle schools	82.8%		78	43^rd of 337 public middle schools	87.2%	16	82.1	91.8	79.7	91.0	92.3	95.3	70.3	82.1	75.6	78.8	$13,653	$708	$12,945
Sibley-Ocheyedan Middle School	Public	5-8	120 11th Ave NE	Sibley	51249	Osceola County	Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 754-2542	185	12	15.4	50.3%	123 (66.5%)	1 (0.5%)	48 (25.9%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (4.3%)	2 (1.1%)	36.6	259^th of 344 public middle schools	24.7%		70	85^th of 337 public middle schools	74.8%	174	69.8	77.5	61.9	72.3	79.1	72.5	71.4	63.8	69.8	72.3	$10,416	$259	$10,157

Frequently Asked Questions about Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School

What district is Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School in?

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School?

Students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School are 81% White, 15% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

What high school do graduates of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School attend?

Students who attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School usually go on to attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School

Is Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School a good school?

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School ranks 143^rd of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 165 students attended Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School.

Rate Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School!

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IAIowa Middle School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Sanborn, IA

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Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.