Summary
Barr Middle School is a public middle school in Grand Island, Nebraska, serving 663 students in grades 6-8. Based on the data provided, Barr Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Nebraska middle schools over the past several years, currently ranking 108 out of 123 middle schools in the state for the 2024-2025 school year.
Barr Middle School faces several challenges, including below-average academic performance, high chronic absenteeism rates, and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a large proportion of students from low-income families. The school's proficiency rates on the NSCAS tests are generally lower than the state and district averages, ranging from 38.53% to 51.23% in English Language Arts and 39.13% to 47.52% in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 58.41% to 58.64% and 55.49% to 57.43%, respectively. Additionally, Barr Middle School has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.3% to 26.0% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than the state and district averages.
Interestingly, Barr Middle School's performance is generally lower than the nearby Westridge Middle School and Walnut Middle School, which are also part of the Grand Island Public Schools district. These schools have higher academic proficiency rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and a lower percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Barr Middle School, ranging from $13,529 to $16,881 over the past few years, and a relatively low student-teacher ratio, the academic outcomes do not seem to be commensurate with the level of resources invested in the school.
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