Manson Middle School

Manson Middle School is a small school serving 128 students in grades 6–8 in Manson, Washington, a community near Lake Chelan; it is part of the Manson School District. The school ranks around the middle of Washington’s middle schools, at the 55th percentile, and has improved substantially from the 21st percentile in 2023–2024. Its smaller size may support close relationships and individual attention, although the available data do not directly measure class size or student experience.

Manson’s clearest academic strength is science. In 2025–2026, 60.87% of students were proficient in science, exceeding both the statewide rate of 50.95% and Chelan Middle School’s 40.51%. Manson also performed well in 8th grade, with 63.04% proficient in English language arts and 50% in math—both above the corresponding state rates. Overall, however, Chelan had stronger ELA and math results, with proficiency rates of 57.25% and 49.62%, compared with Manson’s 48.51% and 32.84%. Manson’s 8th-grade results stand out, while 6th- and 7th-grade performance is more concerning.

Math is the most important area for improvement, particularly in 6th and 7th grades, where proficiency was 23.08% and 25%, compared with 50% in 8th grade. This pattern suggests that strengthening the transition into middle-school math could make a meaningful difference. Manson serves a somewhat higher-need population than Chelan based on free- and reduced-price lunch rates—67.97% versus 61.4%—and its student-teacher ratio is slightly higher, at 14.7 compared with 13.7. Recent gains for students from low-income backgrounds are encouraging, but the school should focus on making its science and 8th-grade successes more consistent across earlier grades and subjects.