Willmar Middle School

Willmar Middle School serves about 842 students in grades 6–8 in Willmar, Minnesota (Kandiyohi County), making it the largest school of its kind in the surrounding area. It is the only comprehensive middle school in the Willmar Public School District, a district ranked in the 28th percentile statewide — yet the school itself ranks in the 56th percentile with 3 stars (241st of 546), roughly 28 percentile points higher than its own district. That gap is the most important thing to know: judging this school by its district's reputation would understate it.

Results by subject tell a mixed but clear story. Math proficiency is 43.4%, essentially at the state level (44.9%) and above the district's 38.8%. Reading is 38.5%, about 10 points below the state, and reading has trailed the state by 8–16 points for several years. Science is the weakest area at 14.6%, below the state and the lowest among nearby schools reporting science results. Achievement also rises sharply by grade: 8th graders beat the state in math (52.0% vs 42.3%) and match it in reading, while 6th graders trail the state by about 6 points in math and 17 in reading, making the current 6th grade the group to watch.

Nearby comparisons are striking. New London-Spicer Middle, 13 miles away, posts the identical 43.4% in math — but its district averages 52.2% in math, so that school actually performs below its own district, while Willmar performs above its own. New London-Spicer does hold a large reading edge (57.5% vs 38.5%). Acgc Elementary Grades 5 And 6, 17 miles away, beats Willmar's 6th graders in both math (42.0% vs 33.3%) and reading. Notably, low-income students, English learners, and students receiving special education services at Willmar Middle generally rank above the state median, even though about 63% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.