Marshall Middle School

Marshall Middle School is a public school at 401 S Saratoga St in Marshall, MN, serving 655 students in grades 5–8 and belonging to the Marshall Public School District, which ranks 284th of 458 Minnesota districts. The school sits well above its own district: for 2025–26 it ranks 215th of 546 Minnesota middle schools — 61st percentile, 3 stars — a level it has held for seven consecutive reporting years, below only its 2016–17 peak at the 75th percentile.

The nearest comparison is Lynd Middle School, roughly 6.5 miles away and also serving grades 5–8, but with only 71 students. Math is the clearest difference: 51.9% of Marshall students are proficient versus 22.8% at Lynd — Marshall is 7 points above the state, Lynd 22 points below. Since both schools serve similar shares of lower-income students (about 56% and 54%), economics alone does not explain that gap. Reading is Marshall's weak spot at 40.9%, 7.7 points under the state, with Lynd also below. In science Marshall reaches 23.0%, about level with its district but slightly under the state. Marshall is also better staffed, with 13.3 students per teacher versus 15.4 at Lynd.

Results inside Marshall split sharply by subject as students advance. Math proficiency climbs by grade — 46.6% in 5th grade to 61.5% in 8th, which is 19 points above the state — while reading falls from 52.6% in 5th grade to roughly 32–35% in grades 7 and 8, about 15 points below the state. Marshall's math advantage over the state has widened every year for four years. Science swings widely because the state tests it only in grades 5 and 8; the 8th-grade result (14.3%) is the concern, while 5th grade (32.0%) is above the state. Several student groups, including English learners and African American students, rank above the school's overall standing, while Hispanic and special education results have slipped and are worth watching. Overall this is a stable, math-powered school whose clearest opportunities are 7th–8th grade reading and 8th grade science.