Is McPherson Middle School a good school?

McPherson Middle School ranks 236 th of 362 Kansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend McPherson Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 492 students attended McPherson Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of McPherson Middle School?

Students at McPherson Middle School are 76% White, 15% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% African American.

What high school do graduates of McPherson Middle School attend?

Students who attend McPherson Middle School usually go on to attend McPherson High

McPherson Middle School

Summary:

McPherson Middle School is a public magnet middle school serving grades 6-8 in McPherson, Kansas, with 492 students. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kansas middle schools over the past several years, typically in the 190-250 range out of around 360-370 schools.

McPherson Middle School faces several challenges, including consistently low academic performance, with only 24.43% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 21.24% in math, compared to state averages of 33.55% and 31.6%, respectively. The school also struggles to support certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom half of Kansas middle schools for Hispanic students, multi-racial students, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students. Interestingly, the nearby Little River Junior High, which is part of a higher-ranked Little River district, significantly outperforms McPherson Middle School on academic measures, with proficiency rates 20-30 percentage points higher in core subjects.

With a relatively low student-teacher ratio, McPherson Middle School may have an opportunity to focus on improving instructional practices, curriculum, and targeted interventions to better support struggling students and close achievement gaps. However, the school's declining performance over time, with its statewide ranking dropping from 194 out of 367 schools in 2020-2021 to 236 out of 362 schools in 2023-2024, suggests the school may be struggling to keep up with state standards and that more significant changes may be needed to address the underlying issues.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

700 E Elizabeth
McPherson, KS 67460

(620) 241-9450

District: McPherson

SchoolDigger Rank:
236^th of 362 Kansas Middle Schools

Students who attend McPherson Middle School usually attend:

High:

McPherson High

Feeder schools for McPherson Middle School:

Elementary:	Eisenhower Elementary
	Lincoln Elementary
	Roosevelt Elementary
	Washington Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.0

Number of students: 492

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.2%

Hispanic:

14.6%

Two or more races:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details McPherson Middle School ranks worse than 65.2% of middle schools in Kansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.5. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McPherson Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks McPherson Middle School 236^th of 362 Kansas public middle schools. (See McPherson Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

McPherson:

SchoolDigger ranks McPherson 146^th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McPherson Middle School

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Rank History for all students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2006	51.01	143^rd	277	48.4%
2007	55.28	135^th	286	52.8%
2008	56.83	141^st	296	52.4%
2009	64.32	105^th	307	65.8%
2010	48.32	196^th	316	38.0%
2011	0.07	319^th	320	0.3%
2012	3.72	329^th	342	3.8%
2013	5.19	340^th	355	4.2%
2015	30.72	282^nd	368	23.4%
2016	35.05	225^th	343	34.4%
2017	31.65	262^nd	358	26.8%
2018	30.36	251^st	350	28.3%
2019	39.33	218^th	368	40.8%
2021	44.27	194^th	367	47.1%
2022	41.29	205^th	368	44.3%
2023	43.35	191^st	362	47.2%
2024	35.50	236^th	362	34.8%

See the entire list of Kansas Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2019	44.25	40^th	70	42.9%
2021	31.65	58^th	79	26.6%
2022	28.85	64^th	83	22.9%
2023	56.33	33^rd	90	63.3%
2024	43.00	48^th	88	45.5%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	30.59	99^th	132	25.0%
2019	32.44	116^th	157	26.1%
2021	57.85	41^st	160	74.4%
2022	26.95	141^st	171	17.5%
2023	28.93	133^rd	178	25.3%
2024	39.98	90^th	164	45.1%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	28.18	209^th	255	18.0%
2019	31.84	198^th	270	26.7%
2021	39.88	169^th	275	38.5%
2022	36.27	178^th	270	34.1%
2023	34.43	210^th	300	30.0%
2024	28.21	235^th	296	20.6%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	27.42	213^th	275	22.5%
2019	38.11	188^th	294	36.1%
2021	48.01	143^rd	313	54.3%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	30.59	99^th	132	25.0%
2019	32.44	116^th	157	26.1%
2021	57.85	41^st	160	74.4%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	34.45	189^th	280	32.5%
2019	38.99	181^st	301	39.9%
2021	42.56	172^nd	308	44.2%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	42.09	61^st	114	46.5%
2019	40.43	67^th	128	47.7%
2021	40.27	76^th	135	43.7%
2022	33.95	91^st	138	34.1%
2023	49.00	60^th	140	57.1%
2024	39.26	85^th	144	41.0%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at McPherson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	27.73	254^th	333	23.7%
2019	35.73	223^rd	344	35.2%
2021	44.09	178^th	349	49.0%
2022	42.78	186^th	349	46.7%
2023	42.63	183^rd	349	47.6%
2024	32.31	242^nd	347	30.3%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kansas State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for McPherson Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	490	5	6	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	506
1989	506	5	7	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	528
1990	542	4	6	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	558
1991	559	6	4	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	583
1992	623	11	10	23	9	n/a	n/a	0	676
1993	653	13	11	20	4	n/a	n/a	0	701
1994	661	15	10	16	6	n/a	n/a	0	708
1995	704	11	6	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	744
1996	704	11	6	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	744
1997	695	9	5	15	4	n/a	n/a	0	728
1998	706	14	9	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	747
1999	645	13	9	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	692
2000	590	16	10	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	637
2001	562	19	4	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	602
2002	592	20	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	631
2003	592	20	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	631
2004	571	14	7	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	611
2005	511	14	8	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	545
2006	496	16	7	25	3	n/a	n/a	3	550
2007	478	23	8	29	3	n/a	n/a	1	542
2008	450	23	8	35	4	n/a	n/a	0	520
2009	429	16	7	30	4	n/a	n/a	4	490
2010	438	17	5	27	4	0	0	0	491
2011	452	14	8	30	4	0	8	0	516
2012	485	9	8	32	5	0	18	0	557
2013	477	7	8	35	3	0	22	0	552
2014	478	8	4	43	0	1	19	0	553
2015	451	6	6	56	1	2	14	0	536
2016	438	13	7	63	0	2	18	0	541
2017	415	9	3	69	1	0	22	0	519
2018	435	8	1	83	1	0	26	0	554
2019	432	4	5	75	1	0	33	0	550
2020	441	4	3	80	0	0	35	0	563
2021	430	4	4	73	0	0	35	0	546
2022	389	6	2	70	0	0	36	0	503
2023	375	5	7	72	0	0	33	0	492

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McPherson Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	506	38.0	13.3	0
1989	528	38.0	13.8	n/a
1990	558	39.2	14.2	0
1991	583	40.3	14.4	n/a
1992	676	44.2	15.2	n/a
1993	701	45.0	15.6	15.8
1994	708	45.2	15.7	14.8
1995	744	47.0	15.8	17.5
1996	744	47.0	15.8	17.5
1997	728	44.8	16.3	17.4
1998	747	45.6	16.4	19.8
1999	692	42.6	16.2	18.5
2000	637	43.8	14.5	19.8
2001	602	41.5	14.5	17.3
2002	631	43.2	14.6	19.2
2003	631	43.2	14.6	19.2
2004	611	41.3	14.8	22.1
2005	545	43.3	12.6	22
2006	550	41.7	13.2	24.3
2007	542	41.5	13.1	28.7
2008	520	39.1	13.3	28.1
2009	490	36.8	13.3	33.5
2010	491	38.2	12.8	37.9
2011	516	38.1	13.5	41.1
2012	557	53.1	10.4	42.4
2013	552	52.2	10.5	44
2014	553	52.6	10.5	42.5
2015	536	49.0	10.9	41.4
2016	541	45.0	12.0	42.3
2017	519	41.6	12.4	43.5
2018	554	39.8	13.9	41.7
2019	550	41.9	13.1	43.8
2020	563	40.7	13.8	45.3
2021	546	39.2	13.9	40.7
2022	503	37.5	13.3	40.4
2023	492	32.7	15.0	41.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McPherson Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	506	38.0	13.3	0
1989	528	38.0	13.8	n/a
1990	558	39.2	14.2	0
1991	583	40.3	14.4	n/a
1992	676	44.2	15.2	n/a
1993	701	45.0	15.6	15.8
1994	708	45.2	15.7	14.8
1995	744	47.0	15.8	17.5
1996	744	47.0	15.8	17.5
1997	728	44.8	16.3	17.4
1998	747	45.6	16.4	19.8
1999	692	42.6	16.2	18.5
2000	637	43.8	14.5	19.8
2001	602	41.5	14.5	17.3
2002	631	43.2	14.6	19.2
2003	631	43.2	14.6	19.2
2004	611	41.3	14.8	22.1
2005	545	43.3	12.6	22
2006	550	41.7	13.2	24.3
2007	542	41.5	13.1	28.7
2008	520	39.1	13.3	28.1
2009	490	36.8	13.3	33.5
2010	491	38.2	12.8	37.9
2011	516	38.1	13.5	41.1
2012	557	53.1	10.4	42.4
2013	552	52.2	10.5	44
2014	553	52.6	10.5	42.5
2015	536	49.0	10.9	41.4
2016	541	45.0	12.0	42.3
2017	519	41.6	12.4	43.5
2018	554	39.8	13.9	41.7
2019	550	41.9	13.1	43.8
2020	563	40.7	13.8	45.3
2021	546	39.2	13.9	40.7
2022	503	37.5	13.3	40.4
2023	492	32.7	15.0	41.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for McPherson Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$10,655 (100.0%)	$10,655

Data source: Kansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McPherson Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 218^th of 368 Middle schools	Ranks 191^st of 362 Middle schools	6.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (McPherson Middle School)	33.5	37.8	4.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (McPherson)	33.5	37.8	4.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	38.4	33.7	4.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (McPherson Middle School)	32.8	32	0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (McPherson)	32.8	32	0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	31.9	29.9	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (McPherson Middle School)	19.7	30.1	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (McPherson)	19.7	30.1	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	31.8	31.7	0%
7th Grade Mathematics (McPherson Middle School)	16.9	20.8	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (McPherson)	16.9	20.8	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	27.9	27.5	0.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (McPherson Middle School)	23.8	18.2	5.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (McPherson)	23.8	18.2	5.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	25.2	20.8	4.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (McPherson Middle School)	19.4	12.9	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (McPherson)	19.4	12.9	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	25.9	22.8	3.1%
8th Grade Science (McPherson Middle School)	33.9	23.5	10.4%
8th Grade Science (McPherson)	33.9	23.5	10.4%
8th Grade Science (Kansas)	30.7	22.7	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	550	492	10.5%
African American	4	5	25%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	5	7	40%
Hispanic	75	72	4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	432	375	13.2%
Two or More Races	33	33
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	43.8%	41.9%	1.9%

Schools Near McPherson Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KAP English Language Arts (2024)						KAP Mathematics (2024)						KAP Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 4th Grade	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics 6th Grade	KAP Mathematics 7th Grade	KAP Mathematics 8th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science 8th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McPherson Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	700 E Elizabeth	McPherson	67460	McPherson County	McPherson	No	Yes	No	No	(620) 241-9450	492	33	15.0	41.9%	375 (76.2%)	5 (1.0%)	72 (14.6%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.7%)	35.5	236^th of 362 public middle schools	34.8%		43.4	191^st of 362 public middle schools	47.2%	45			28.5	28.2	16.4	24.4			25.0	24.4	14.3	21.2		19.0	19.0	$10,655	$00	$10,655
Moundridge Middle	Public	4-8	530 E. Cole	Moundridge	67107	McPherson County	Moundridge	No	No	No	No	(620) 345-5500	177	13	13.6	41.2%	155 (87.6%)	3 (1.7%)	10 (5.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.0%)	43.5	179^th of 362 public middle schools	50.6%		63.7	94^th of 362 public middle schools	74.0%	85	54.5	32.4	28.6	34.4	21.2	34.1	42.4	35.3	20.0	31.3	18.2	29.3	67.6	21.2	44.8	$12,356	$201	$12,155
Smoky Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	401 N Cedar	Lindsborg	67456	McPherson County	Smoky Valley	No	No	No	No	(785) 227-4249	246	16	15.8	37.0%	226 (91.9%)	6 (2.4%)	12 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	44.2	175^th of 362 public middle schools	51.7%		51	140^th of 362 public middle schools	61.3%	35		45.9	23.8	39.1	21.9	32.5		20.6	36.5	23.4	6.1	21.6	54.0	24.6	39.1	$9,563	$227	$9,335
Little River Junior High	Public	7-8	430 Waverly	Little River	67457	Rice County	Little River	No	No	No	No	(620) 897-6201	40	2	21.5	27.5%	39 (97.5%)	1 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	96.4	4^th of 362 public middle schools	98.9%		86.7	24^th of 362 public middle schools	93.4%	20				50.0	51.9	51.2				62.5	59.3	60.5		44.4	44.4	$10,779	$262	$10,518

McPherson Middle School

McPherson Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

McPherson:

What do you think?

Rank History for McPherson Middle School

Rank History for all students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Female students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Male students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at McPherson Middle School

Rank History for White students at McPherson Middle School

Enrollment information for McPherson Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McPherson Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio McPherson Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for McPherson Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on McPherson Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near McPherson Middle School