Best Public Schools in Madison, MN

Madison, Minnesota has three public schools, all in the Lac qui Parle Valley Schools district: Madison-Marietta-Nassau Elementary serves grades PK–4, Lac Qui Parle Valley Middle School serves grades 5–6, and Lac Qui Parle Valley Secondary serves grades 7–12. Total enrollment is 660. The high school is largest with about 58% of students, followed by the elementary school at about 23% and the middle school at about 20%. The district is rated 295th of 458 districts, 36th percentile, 2 stars.

The elementary school is the academic standout. Its all-grade math proficiency is 56.9% versus 33.5% district and 44.9% state, and reading is 50.0% versus 34.7% district and 48.6% state. Third grade is especially strong—73.3% math and 63.3% reading—while fourth grade is much lower at 39.3% math and 35.7% reading. The elementary also has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (35.76%) and lowest student/teacher ratio (11.6). The middle school has the highest need, with 51.16% free/reduced lunch, no rank history, and results above the district in reading and science but below the district in math and below the state in all subjects. The high school has a 90.0% graduation rate, above the state’s 84.9%, and a 4.2% dropout rate equal to the state, but its all-grade proficiency is below district and state: 25.9% math, 29.5% reading, and 16.8% science.

The high school’s 8th grade is a clear red flag: 16.4% reading versus 50.0% statewide and 0% science versus 16.7% statewide. Student/teacher ratios run opposite to proficiency—elementary has the lowest ratio and highest proficiency, while the high school has the highest ratio and lowest overall proficiency—though many factors may be involved. The district’s 36th percentile and 2 stars should not be directly compared with school rank histories, which show the elementary at 56th percentile and the high school at 57th percentile with 3 stars in 2025–26. Small enrollments mean a few students can swing percentages, so year-to-year changes like the elementary’s +10.42 reading gain and −5.6 math dip, or the high school’s −4.2 reading change, should be read with caution. Reading trend comparisons also involve MCA-III and MCA-IV labels.