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Staples-Motley Senior High

Q: Is Staples-Motley Senior High a good school?

Staples-Motley Senior High ranks 238 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

238^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 50% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Staples-Motley Senior High is a grades 9–12 school in Staples, MN, serving about 309 students as part of the Staples-Motley School District, and in 2025–2026 it ranked 238th of 473 Minnesota high schools — the 50th percentile, 3 stars.

Academically, science is the clearest bright spot: 32.9% of students were proficient in science in 2025–2026, above the state's 25.5% and above Bertha Secondary and Verndale Secondary, though behind Pillager Senior High School; the year before, science proficiency was 45.57% against 26.15% statewide. Math is the weakest subject — 25% proficient versus 44.9% statewide and 39.9% in the district — and it has declined from 41.43% in 2022–2023. Reading is mixed and volatile, at 41.7% in 2025–2026 (below the state's 48.6% but above the district's 37.3%) after reaching 51.95% the prior year. Completion outcomes are stronger than test scores: the 2024–2025 graduation rate was 94.2% versus the state's 84.9%, and the dropout rate was 2.9% versus 4.2%.

Compared with nearby schools, Staples-Motley's 50th-percentile rank sits behind Bertha (73rd percentile, 4 stars) and Pillager (63rd) but ahead of Verndale (16th). Two context notes matter: Bertha and Verndale serve grades 7–12, so their all-grades test results include middle school, and White Pine Academy enrolls only 11 students with school-level scores suppressed by the state — those values should be treated as unknown rather than as a weakness. Among subgroups, the school's effectiveness rank was 62nd percentile for special education students and 54th for low-SES students, both above its overall 50th percentile. One caution: the school's rank has slipped from the 76th percentile in 2021–2022 to 50th now.

309

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,669

Per pupil spending ?

38.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

401 Centennial Dr
Staples, MN 56479-2118

(218) 894-2431

District: Staples-Motley School District

Feeder schools for Staples-Motley Senior High:

Elementary:	Staples-Motley Elementary
Middle:	Staples-Motley Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.0%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Hispanic:

3.2%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Staples-Motley Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 76th percentile in 2022 → 50th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Minnesota average (85%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (33% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 76th-percentile peak (2022) to 50th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg35%

Minnesota avg43%

238^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 50%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	39.1	350 of 533	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.1	326 of 518	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.2	373 of 523	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	238 of 473	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.1	178 of 450	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.4	168 of 480	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	185 of 476	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.9	115 of 472	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	44.5	267 of 428	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.3	235 of 492	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.9	126 of 494	74.5%	★★★★☆
2017	60.6	225 of 489	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.8	273 of 489	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	59.8	233 of 504	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.9	154 of 483	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.1	288 of 534	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.7	341 of 539	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.4	309 of 545	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.2	346 of 540	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	58.1	250 of 460	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.2	281 of 463	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	45.4	308 of 450	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	62.0	260 of 452	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	49.6	317 of 433	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	225 of 398	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.1	153 of 358	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.4	261 of 403	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.6	189 of 396	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.3	135 of 388	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.4	135 of 339	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.7	166 of 401	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.1	191 of 395	51.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	173 of 377	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.8	167 of 333	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.6	107 of 389	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	54.3	172 of 393	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	81.3	34 of 312	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	61.4	94 of 270	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.5	64 of 370	82.7%	★★★★☆
2018	80.4	51 of 374	86.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	212 of 395	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.5	173 of 377	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.4	77 of 405	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	59.0	157 of 398	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.6	113 of 403	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	27.1	291 of 351	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.3	257 of 411	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	74.9	85 of 398	78.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.2	85 of 224	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	83 of 178	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.7	92 of 221	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.9	145 of 216	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.4	107 of 214	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	8.5	171 of 173	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	186 of 220	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.0	123 of 195	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	41.1	260 of 394	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.9	239 of 376	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.3	223 of 402	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.6	234 of 398	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.3	181 of 401	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.0	290 of 364	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.3	245 of 412	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.6	164 of 414	60.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

High school

Special Education (2026)62nd percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)46th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)43rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading42%-7 vs state

Science33%+7 vs state

Math25%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Staples-Motley Senior High

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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 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 10th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science End of Course	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Staples-Motley Senior High	Public	9-12	401 Centennial Dr	Staples	56479	Todd County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 894-2431	309	19	16.3	38.2%	275 (89.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	53.1	238^th of 473 public high schools	49.7%		63.1	178^th of 450 public high schools	60.4%	60			41.7	41.7		32.9	32.9			25.0	25.0	$13,669
FED Staples-Motley Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	401 Centennial Dr	Staples	56479	Todd County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Freshwater Staples Alternative Learning Center	Public	7-12	1830 Airport Rd	Staples	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
Verndale Secondary	Public	7-12	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 445-5184	231	19	11.9	46.8%	206 (89.2%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	19	396^th of 473 public high schools	16.3%		40.6	296^th of 450 public high schools	34.2%	100	30.0	30.3	29.3	29.8	3.1	7.7	5.6	13.3	17.2	11.8	14.0	$10,617
Bertha Secondary	Public	7-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	213	16	13.3	45.1%	199 (93.4%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)	70.7	128^th of 473 public high schools	72.9%		53.6	234^th of 450 public high schools	48.0%	106	38.7	37.5	50.0	41.0	15.6	42.9	26.4	25.8	31.3	29.4	28.7	$13,767
FED Bertha-Hewitt Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56482	Todd County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
Freshwater Pillager Alternative Learning Center	Public	7-12	323 E 2nd St	Pillager	56482	Cass County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
F.E.D. Pillager Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	323 E 2nd St	Pillager	56482	Cass County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0			—															(n/a)
Pillager Senior High School	Public	9-12	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 746-2117	370	22	17.1	32.2%	339 (91.6%)	7 (1.9%)	12 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	64.5	174^th of 473 public high schools	63.2%		50.9	251^st of 450 public high schools	44.2%	77			45.9	45.9		40.6	40.6			27.7	27.7	$12,067
White Pine Academy	Public	5-12	2222 Industrial Drive	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	No	No	No	(218) 631-3505	11	3	4.3	72.7%	10 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Staples-Motley Senior High

What schools feed into Staples-Motley Senior High?

Staples-Motley Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Staples-Motley Elementary
Middle : Staples-Motley Middle School

How many students attend Staples-Motley Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 309 students attended Staples-Motley Senior High.

What district is Staples-Motley Senior High in?

Staples-Motley School District

Is Staples-Motley Senior High a good school?

Staples-Motley Senior High ranks 238^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Staples-Motley Senior High?

Students at Staples-Motley Senior High are 89% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

Rate Staples-Motley Senior High!

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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.