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WCA Middle School

Public Grades 5-8
151st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools
Better than 72% of Minnesota middle schools
Summary

WCA Middle School is a grades 5–8 school in Barrett, MN, serving 232 students as part of the West Central Area district. In 2025–2026 it ranked 151st of 546 Minnesota middle schools — the 72nd percentile, with 4 stars — while its district ranks 68th of 458 districts (85th percentile, 4 stars). The closest comparable school is Brandon-Evansville Middle School, roughly 15 miles away, which enrolls 124 students in grades 6–8. Because WCA includes 5th grade and Brandon-Evansville does not, whole-school comparisons are imperfect, but grades 6–8 compare well.

Reading is the standout. At 55.3% proficient, WCA beats the state (48.6%) and the nearby school (50.4%), and it is above the state in every tested grade — a meaningful sign of consistency. Science is the biggest concern: 13.2% proficient, far below the state's 25.5% and the district's 23.3%, and down sharply from 39.22% in 2022–2023. Eighth-grade science is 10.2%, versus 15.9% at Brandon-Evansville and 16.7% statewide. Math has rebounded from 30.56% to 40.9%, a gain of more than 10 percentage points, but still trails the state (44.9%) and Brandon-Evansville (47.9%). The grade-level picture is uneven: 8th grade math is a strength at 53.1%, 7th grade math is 39.6% (compared with 57.1% nearby), and 5th grade math is 32.8% (state: 41.9%).

WCA's results swing year to year. It reached the 89th percentile in 2021–2022, fell to the 38th in 2024–2025, and returned to the 72nd now, while Brandon-Evansville has held steady between the 74th and 86th percentiles. WCA serves a higher share of students eligible for free or reduced lunch (34.91% vs. 30.65%) yet has a lower student-teacher ratio (15.2 vs. 18.3), which may allow more staffing flexibility. Its subgroup results are relatively strong: low-income students ranked in the 73rd percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026, and special education students have ranked around the 62nd–68th percentile in recent available years. The main things to watch are science and consistency.

232
Students ?
15.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$5,552
Per pupil spending ?
34.9%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.
 301 County Road 2
       Barrett, MN  56311-8888

(320) 528-7400

District: West Central Area


Students who attend WCA Middle School usually attend:

High:    West Central Area Secondary

Feeder schools for WCA Middle School:

Elementary:    West Central Area North Elementary
    West Central Area South Elementary
Racial breakdown:

White:
94.4%
Hispanic:
2.6%
Two or more races:
2.2%
more
 See top rated Minnesota middle schools

 Compare WCA Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2017 → 72nd in 2026
Strengths
✓Above the Minnesota median (72nd percentile)
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2017
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Science scores 12 pts below the Minnesota average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school41%
District avg47%
Minnesota avg43%
151st of 546
Minnesota public middle schools ?
Top 28%▼ down 11 pts since 2017
From top 16% (2017) to top 28% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
68th of 458West Central Area among Minnesota 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMinnesota percentileRating
202666.7151 of 54672.3%★★★★☆
202539.5320 of 51938.3%★★☆☆☆
202458.0212 of 54561.1%★★★☆☆
202365.2164 of 52969.0%★★★☆☆
202281.359 of 52088.7%★★★★☆
202178.386 of 52183.5%★★★★☆
201977.587 of 53383.7%★★★★☆
201876.290 of 51882.6%★★★★☆
201777.886 of 52383.6%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMinnesota percentileRating
202664.1150 of 46767.9%★★★☆☆
202543.1264 of 45041.3%★★☆☆☆
202463.4143 of 47469.8%★★★★☆
202370.5102 of 45577.6%★★★★☆
202284.137 of 46792.1%★★★★★
202177.962 of 44386.0%★★★★☆
201974.191 of 43979.3%★★★★☆
201872.5103 of 43676.4%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMinnesota percentileRating
202664.3124 of 45872.9%★★★★☆
202547.4224 of 43248.1%★★☆☆☆
202466.8119 of 47374.8%★★★★☆
202372.085 of 45981.5%★★★★☆
202284.421 of 40494.8%★★★★★
202179.430 of 39992.5%★★★★★
201993.49 of 41597.8%★★★★★
201886.814 of 40196.5%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMinnesota percentileRating
202660.5160 of 48366.9%★★★☆☆
202533.3317 of 45229.9%★★☆☆☆
202447.1250 of 47947.8%★★☆☆☆
202353.1208 of 46455.2%★★★☆☆
202271.0110 of 47676.9%★★★★☆
202171.7101 of 43776.9%★★★★☆
201976.293 of 45479.5%★★★★☆
201875.581 of 43881.5%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMinnesota percentileRating
202556.0101 of 26561.9%★★★☆☆
202459.997 of 30768.4%★★★☆☆
202266.861 of 28878.8%★★★★☆
201965.377 of 28272.7%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMinnesota percentileRating
202648.2219 of 43549.7%★★★☆☆
202522.4359 of 41513.5%★☆☆☆☆
202440.3283 of 44035.7%★★☆☆☆
202351.1212 of 43651.4%★★★☆☆
202272.581 of 43881.5%★★★★☆
202171.587 of 42279.4%★★★★☆
201967.2118 of 42872.4%★★★★☆
201867.8115 of 42873.1%★★★★☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile~ school
Female (2026)68th percentile-4 vs school
Male (2026)67th percentile-5 vs school
Special Education (2025)62nd percentile+24 vs school
White (2026)50th percentile-23 vs school
By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?
Reading55%+7 vs state
Math41%-4 vs state
Science13%-12 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about WCA Middle School

In the 2024-25 school year, 232 students attended WCA Middle School.

Students who attend WCA Middle School usually go on to attend West Central Area Secondary

WCA Middle School ranks 151st of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at WCA Middle School are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Rate WCA Middle School!



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Schools in Barrett, MN

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »
2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026
2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026
2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025


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

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