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Staples-Motley Elementary

Q: Is Staples-Motley Elementary a good school?

Staples-Motley Elementary ranks 573 rd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

573^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Staples-Motley Elementary is a PK–4 school serving 308 students in Staples, a small rural community in central Minnesota's Todd/Wadena County area, and the elementary building of the Staples-Motley School District. For 2025-26 it ranks 573rd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools — the 34th percentile, 2 stars — near the best standing it has reached in a decade. About 55.8% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, down from 60.5% three years earlier, and the student-teacher ratio is 13.1:1.

The school's clearest strength is math: 52.5% of students met state standards in 2025-26, above the state's 44.9% and 12.6 points above its own district's 39.9% — the widest school-over-district math margin among nearby schools. Reading is the opposite: 34.4% proficiency, 14.2 points below the state's 48.6%, and it has stayed between 33% and 36.4% for four straight years in both tested grades, pointing to a systemic instructional gap rather than one weak class. That +18.1 point math-over-reading spread is the widest in the comparison group. Verndale Elementary, about 11 miles away, is nearly a mirror image (strong reading at 51.6%, weak math at 41.6%), while Pillager Elementary is the closest aspirational peer: its math lead is only 4.0 points, but its reading lead is 13.7 points.

Results also vary widely by group. Female students rank around the 38th–42nd percentile, while male students sit at the 20th–32nd, and students with disabilities rank in the bottom quarter of schools statewide. Low-income students — more than half the school — fell from the 70th percentile (4 stars) two years ago to the 30th percentile (2 stars) now, the most volatile trend in the data. Within math, third grade (60.0%) far outpaces fourth grade (43.9%). Staples-Motley places fourth of six nearby elementary schools overall, ahead of Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary. The bottom line for families: this is a school with real, poverty-resistant math strength whose overall rating is held down almost entirely by reading. Reading in grades 3 and 4 is the single lever most likely to change outcomes.

308

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,285

Per pupil spending ?

55.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

1025 4th St NE
Staples, MN 56479-3000

(218) 894-5400

District: Staples-Motley School District

Students who attend Staples-Motley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Staples-Motley Middle School
High:	Staples-Motley Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.6%

Two or more races:

4.9%

American Indian:

1.6%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Staples-Motley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 23rd percentile in 2013 → 34th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Reading scores 14 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg39%

Minnesota avg47%

573^rd of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

237^th of 458Staples-Motley School District 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	38.8	573 of 869	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.8	609 of 872	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.8	559 of 881	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	607 of 845	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.6	596 of 858	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	637 of 869	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.0	613 of 848	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	48.1	531 of 840	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	34.3	625 of 826	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.9	632 of 824	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	55.9	457 of 820	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.7	589 of 814	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	48.8	544 of 803	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.2	475 of 781	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.2	480 of 777	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.9	562 of 756	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.9	551 of 685	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	35.2	525 of 676	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	44.1	465 of 674	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	493 of 790	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	479 of 799	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.6	469 of 809	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.8	626 of 787	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.2	576 of 799	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	605 of 783	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	533 of 764	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	388 of 764	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.8	238 of 793	70.0%	★★★★☆
2023	38.0	516 of 774	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.3	368 of 663	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.5	355 of 683	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	33.6	572 of 807	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	651 of 812	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.2	559 of 826	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	517 of 799	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	553 of 808	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.1	572 of 784	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	509 of 579	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.5	532 of 562	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	427 of 572	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.9	365 of 524	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.9	364 of 500	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.8	393 of 417	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	11.9	675 of 710	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.3	699 of 714	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	676 of 730	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	681 of 712	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	687 of 725	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.0	688 of 710	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)38th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)29th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)12th percentile-22 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math52%+8 vs state

Reading34%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Staples-Motley Elementary

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)					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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Staples-Motley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1025 4th St NE	Staples	56479	Wadena County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 894-5400	308	24	13.1	55.8%	282 (91.6%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	38.8	573^rd of 869 public elementary schools	34.1%		33.8	609^th of 872 public elementary schools	30.2%	36	35.4	33.3			34.4			60.0	43.9			52.5	$12,285
Verndale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 445-5184	253	21	11.8	41.5%	239 (94.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	49.8	462^nd of 869 public elementary schools	46.8%		47.4	501^st of 872 public elementary schools	42.5%	39	57.1	35.0	62.5	53.8	51.6	18.8	18.8	73.8	39.0	31.3	17.9	41.6	$10,713
Bertha Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	293	16	17.9	51.2%	279 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	59.7	347^th of 869 public elementary schools	60.1%		57.4	400^th of 872 public elementary schools	54.1%	53	41.9	61.9	52.4	37.5	47.9	28.6	28.6	69.8	69.0	47.6	30.0	55.5	$12,003
Pillager Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 746-2110	521	40	12.9	41.5%	488 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.6%)	57.1	383^rd of 869 public elementary schools	55.9%		65.8	315^th of 872 public elementary schools	63.9%	68	46.7	49.5			48.1			54.3	58.8			56.5	$11,169
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	215 Colfax Ave SW	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Wadena-Deer Creek School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 632-2400	450	40	11.1	52.2%	387 (86.0%)	9 (2.0%)	21 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	23.5	698^th of 869 public elementary schools	19.7%		31.1	634^th of 872 public elementary schools	27.3%	64	23.1	31.8			27.7			41.0	42.0			41.6	$12,842
Browerville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	620 Park Ave N	Browerville	56438	Todd County	Browerville Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 594-2272	275	0		56.0%	240 (87.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	39.7	566^th of 869 public elementary schools	34.9%		41.5	557^th of 872 public elementary schools	36.1%	9	40.9	32.5	41.9	31.7	36.9	16.3	16.3	71.1	55.0	32.6	26.8	46.7	$9,494

Frequently Asked Questions about Staples-Motley Elementary

Is Staples-Motley Elementary a good school?

Staples-Motley Elementary ranks 573^rd of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Staples-Motley Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 308 students attended Staples-Motley Elementary.

What district is Staples-Motley Elementary in?

Staples-Motley School District

What schools do graduates of Staples-Motley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Staples-Motley Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Staples-Motley Middle School
High : Staples-Motley Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Staples-Motley Elementary?

Students at Staples-Motley Elementary are 92% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% African American.

Rate Staples-Motley Elementary!

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Schools in Staples, MN

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

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

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 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.