Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 56633

ZIP code 56633 has one middle school, Cass Lake-Bena Middle School, serving grades 6–8 in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools, with 312 students and a high share of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch (77.88%). Because it is the only middle school in the ZIP, parents should evaluate it on its own results rather than compare it with another local middle school. Its student-teacher ratio is 10.5, which is relatively low and may mean smaller classes or more instructional staff per student. The school has also been rated 0 stars and ranked in the bottom 5th to 8th percentile of Minnesota middle schools in each of the three years shown.

In 2025–2026, all-grade proficiency was far below Minnesota averages: math 4.6% vs. 44.9%, reading 15.5% vs. 48.6%, and science 3.3% vs. 25.5%. Grade-level results show the same pattern: 6th grade reading was the strongest current result at 28.6% proficient, but still well below the state’s 53.4%; 7th grade math was the weakest at 1.3% proficient, compared with the state’s 40.3%. The school also declined in all three tested subjects from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. Science fell the most, from 9.35% to 3.3%. Reading fell from 18.75% to 15.5%, even though the district’s reading result improved over the same period, making that decline a school-specific concern.

Relative bright spots are limited but real: 6th grade reading is the highest reported result, the student-teacher ratio is relatively low, and the school matches or slightly exceeds its district in some grade-level rows, including 8th grade math, 7th grade reading, 8th grade reading, and 8th grade science. Still, it remains below the state in every reported subject and grade level, and its rank history confirms persistent bottom-decile performance. With 77.88% of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, the school serves a high-poverty population, which is important context, though it does not fully explain the proficiency gaps. Overall, Cass Lake-Bena Middle School is the sole middle school in ZIP 56633 and is not a high-performing standout, but it does show a few relative strengths in 6th grade reading and staffing.