Middle Schools in Marion Elementary

The Marion 7-8 is the sole middle school located within the Marion Elementary School District in Montana. With an enrollment of just 29 students and a student-teacher ratio of 9:1, this small school faces both advantages and challenges in serving its high-poverty population.

Academically, Marion 7-8's performance is mixed compared to the state average. While the school exceeds the state average in science proficiency, it significantly underperforms in mathematics, with only 12% of students scoring proficient or better compared to the state's 36.77%. The school's English Language Arts proficiency rate of 44% is slightly above the state's 43.09%. However, the school's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, dropping from 87th out of 190 Montana middle schools in 2021-2022 to 140th out of 222 in 2024-2025, accompanied by a decrease in its SchoolDigger rating from 3 stars to 2 stars.

The high poverty level at Marion 7-8, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may contribute to the school's academic challenges and resource needs. As the sole middle school in the district, Marion 7-8 does not have the opportunity to directly compare its performance to other local middle schools. Addressing the school's areas of underperformance, particularly in mathematics, and identifying strategies to reverse the declining statewide ranking will be crucial for the school and district to support the success of their students.