Is Cass Lake-Bena Middle School a good school?

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School ranks in the bottom 8.1% of Minnesota middle schools.

How many students attend Cass Lake-Bena Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 303 students attended Cass Lake-Bena Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Cass Lake-Bena Middle School?

Students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School are 95% American Indian, 4% White.

What high school do graduates of Cass Lake-Bena Middle School attend?

Students who attend Cass Lake-Bena Middle School usually go on to attend Cass Lake-Bena Secondary

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Summary:

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 5-8 in Cass Lake, Minnesota, with a student population of 305. The school is part of the Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools district, which is ranked 416 out of 463 districts in Minnesota and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School stands out for its significantly higher percentage of Native American students (79.34%) compared to surrounding schools like Bemidji Middle (23.79%), Voyageurs Expeditionary Middle School (43.75%), Trek North Middle School (43.86%), and Laporte Middle School (8.7%). However, the school consistently performs well below state averages in proficiency rates for Math, Reading, and Science on the MCA-III assessments, with only 8.28% proficiency in Math, 19.52% in Reading, and 6.04% in Science, compared to state averages of 45.47%, 49.85%, and 39.56%, respectively.

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School also has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 65.37% to 84.59% over the past few years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools. Despite its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.7 to 10.7, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Minnesota middle schools over the past decade, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. These challenges suggest the need for targeted interventions and support to address the persistent academic underperformance and potential educational inequities faced by the school's predominantly Native American and low-income student population.

Detail:

Public 5-8

15314 State 371 NW
Cass Lake, MN 56633-3373

(218) 335-2203

District: Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
501^st of 545 Minnesota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,279

Students who attend Cass Lake-Bena Middle School usually attend:

High:

Cass Lake-Bena Secondary

Feeder schools for Cass Lake-Bena Middle School:

Elementary:

Cass Lake-Bena Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 9.3

Number of students: 303

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

95.4%

White:

4.0%

African American:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.5%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Cass Lake-Bena Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cass Lake-Bena Middle School ranks worse than 91.9% of middle schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.06. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: American Indian (95.4%), White (4%), African American (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School is 9.3. (See more...)

Compare Cass Lake-Bena Middle School employs 32.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School is $22,279.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cass Lake-Bena Middle School 501^st of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See Cass Lake-Bena Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Native American students:

Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools 416^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	19.08	334^th	387	13.7%
2005	23.07	344^th	396	13.1%
2006	20.47	362^nd	406	10.8%
2007	25.07	347^th	403	13.9%
2008	28.67	346^th	409	15.4%
2009	28.11	196^th	230	14.8%
2010	24.67	390^th	454	14.1%
2011	14.78	423^rd	478	11.5%
2012	9.64	426^th	469	9.2%
2013	7.78	450^th	488	7.8%
2014	6.42	455^th	490	7.1%
2015	5.21	484^th	516	6.2%
2016	4.70	476^th	508	6.3%
2017	4.72	490^th	523	6.3%
2018	5.52	480^th	518	7.3%
2019	13.69	468^th	533	12.2%
2021	8.98	483^rd	521	7.3%
2022	6.56	494^th	520	5.0%
2023	8.33	498^th	529	5.9%
2024	11.06	501^st	545	8.1%

See the entire list of Minnesota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	13.34	239^th	253	5.5%
2019	36.81	186^th	282	34.0%
2021	30.79	198^th	260	23.8%
2022	19.52	253^rd	288	12.2%
2023	26.86	236^th	298	20.8%
2024	32.09	222^nd	307	27.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	11.69	372^nd	401	7.2%
2019	23.66	342^nd	415	17.6%
2021	19.82	351^st	399	12.0%
2022	11.66	388^th	404	4.0%
2023	15.09	419^th	459	8.7%
2024	17.56	421^st	473	11.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	4.24	419^th	436	3.9%
2019	17.06	389^th	439	11.4%
2021	9.52	414^th	443	6.5%
2022	8.19	439^th	467	6.0%
2023	8.67	426^th	455	6.4%
2024	8.04	448^th	474	5.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	5.13	416^th	438	5.0%
2019	10.07	415^th	454	8.6%
2021	8.15	416^th	437	4.8%
2022	5.10	466^th	476	2.1%
2023	7.47	439^th	464	5.4%
2024	11.49	440^th	479	8.1%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	30.43	16^th	23	30.4%
2019	49.26	9^th	23	60.9%
2021	29.14	15^th	18	16.7%
2022	27.22	18^th	22	18.2%
2023	25.25	40^th	49	18.4%
2024	23.90	46^th	55	16.4%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota 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: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	74	0	1	1	299	n/a	n/a	375
2003	74	0	1	1	299	n/a	n/a	375
2004	57	0	2	0	284	n/a	n/a	343
2005	66	3	3	1	280	n/a	n/a	353
2006	41	1	4	1	265	n/a	n/a	312
2007	30	1	3	1	242	n/a	n/a	277
2008	28	1	2	0	259	n/a	n/a	290
2009	24	1	2	0	246	n/a	n/a	273
2010	24	0	1	0	259	n/a	n/a	284
2011	22	0	0	2	287	0	8	319
2012	18	0	1	1	279	0	5	304
2013	10	4	0	2	301	0	2	319
2014	15	0	0	8	295	0	8	326
2015	16	1	0	5	283	0	20	325
2016	22	0	0	14	294	0	15	345
2017	29	0	0	8	286	0	15	338
2018	33	0	0	10	296	0	16	355
2019	36	0	0	9	290	0	23	358
2020	27	0	0	3	298	0	7	335
2021	20	0	0	2	295	0	18	335
2022	24	0	0	6	243	0	29	302
2023	15	1	0	8	242	0	39	305
2024	12	1	0	1	289	0	0	303

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 Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	375	26.8	14.0	68.5
2003	375	26.8	14.0	68.5
2004	343	30.4	11.3	73.5
2005	353	35.2	10.0	72.8
2006	312	35.7	8.7	71.5
2007	277	28.4	9.8	78.7
2008	290	27.8	10.4	84.5
2009	273	31.5	8.7	79.9
2010	284	27.8	10.2	80.6
2011	319	28.0	11.3	81.2
2012	304	31.0	9.7	81.6
2013	319	28.0	11.3	83.4
2014	326	30.8	10.5	87.4
2015	325	29.0	11.2	79.1
2016	345	34.0	10.1	83.8
2017	338	33.8	9.9	82.8
2018	355	29.5	12.0	78
2019	358	28.1	12.7	80.4
2020	335	34.4	9.7	79.7
2021	335	31.0	10.7	65.4
2022	302	31.0	9.7	69.5
2023	305	30.4	10.0	84.6
2024	303	32.4	9.3	84.5

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 Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	375	26.8	14.0	68.5
2003	375	26.8	14.0	68.5
2004	343	30.4	11.3	73.5
2005	353	35.2	10.0	72.8
2006	312	35.7	8.7	71.5
2007	277	28.4	9.8	78.7
2008	290	27.8	10.4	84.5
2009	273	31.5	8.7	79.9
2010	284	27.8	10.2	80.6
2011	319	28.0	11.3	81.2
2012	304	31.0	9.7	81.6
2013	319	28.0	11.3	83.4
2014	326	30.8	10.5	87.4
2015	325	29.0	11.2	79.1
2016	345	34.0	10.1	83.8
2017	338	33.8	9.9	82.8
2018	355	29.5	12.0	78
2019	358	28.1	12.7	80.4
2020	335	34.4	9.7	79.7
2021	335	31.0	10.7	65.4
2022	302	31.0	9.7	69.5
2023	305	30.4	10.0	84.6
2024	303	32.4	9.3	84.5

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 Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$22,279

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cass Lake-Bena 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 468^th of 533 Middle schools	Ranks 498^th of 529 Middle schools	6.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	10.9	9.3	1.5%
5th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	10.9	9.3	1.5%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	38.7	21.3	17.4%
5th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	38.7	21.3	17.4%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	29.7	19.2	10.5%
5th Grade Science (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	29.7	19.2	10.5%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%
6th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	15.5	8.8	6.7%
6th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	15.5	8.8	6.7%
6th Grade Math (Minnesota)	50.5	39.7	10.8%
6th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	35.6	26.5	9.2%
6th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	35.6	26.5	9.2%
6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	62.8	53.4	9.4%
7th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	20	5.8	14.2%
7th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	19.3	5.6	13.7%
7th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52.1	39.7	12.4%
7th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	42.5	14.3	28.2%
7th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	41	13.9	27.1%
7th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.5	45.2	12.3%
8th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	29.6	10	19.6%
8th Grade Math (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	28.4	9	19.4%
8th Grade Math (Minnesota)	55.2	40.3	14.9%
8th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	35.2	15	20.2%
8th Grade Reading (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	35.1	15.2	20%
8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.7	44.8	12.9%
8th Grade Science (Cass Lake-Bena Middle School)	16.9	5.3	11.7%
8th Grade Science (Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools)	16.2	4.8	11.3%
8th Grade Science (Minnesota)	43	27.6	15.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	358	305	14.8%
African American	0	1
American Indian	290	242	16.6%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	9	8	11.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	36	15	58.3%
Two or More Races	23	39	69.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.4%	84.6%	4.1%

Schools Near Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)					MCA-III Reading (2024)					MCA-III 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	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Cass Lake-Bena Middle School	Public	5-8	15314 State 371 NW	Cass Lake	56633	Cass County	Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 335-2203	303	32	9.3	84.5%	12 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	289 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.1	501^st of 545 public middle schools	8.1%		8.3	498^th of 529 public middle schools	5.9%	3	0.0	8.3	16.4	12.5	8.3	18.1	19.2	25.4	16.1	19.5	6.5	5.3	6.0	$22,279
Laporte Middle School	Public	6-8	315 Main St W	Laporte	56461	Hubbard County	Laporte Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 224-2288	82	4	19.0	61.0%	62 (75.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.9%)	23.6	439^th of 545 public middle schools	19.4%		26.9	401^st of 529 public middle schools	24.2%	38		3.7	4.8	26.7	12.8		48.2	28.6	30.0	35.9		12.9	12.9
Voyageurs Expeditionary Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3724 Bemidji Ave N	Bemidji	56601	Beltrami County	Voyageurs Expeditionary	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 444-3130	42	1	41.1	85.7%	12 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (40.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (23.8%)	4.7	535^th of 545 public middle schools	1.8%		8.6	497^th of 529 public middle schools	6.0%	38		0.0	6.7	7.1	5.0		7.7	13.3	7.1	9.5		0.0	0.0	$9,534
Trek North Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	2400 Pine Ridge Ave NW	Bemidji	56601	Beltrami County	Treknorth High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 444-1888	108	6	19.3	67.6%	38 (35.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (48.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (10.2%)	26.8	423^rd of 545 public middle schools	22.4%		18.6	444^th of 529 public middle schools	16.1%	21		29.4	7.5	8.1	14.4		41.2	35.0	37.8	37.8		13.5	13.5	$11,409
Bemidji Middle Alp	Public	6-8	1910 Middle School Ave NW	Bemidji	56601	Beltrami County	Bemidji Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 333-3215	1	2	.5		1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$13,280
Bemidji Middle	Public	6-8	1910 Middle School Ave NW	Bemidji	56601	Beltrami County	Bemidji Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 333-3215	1,035	63	16.5	47.1%	714 (69.0%)	10 (1.0%)	16 (1.5%)	5 (0.5%)	264 (25.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (2.5%)	67.7	152^nd of 545 public middle schools	72.1%		66.2	156^th of 529 public middle schools	70.5%	4		47.6	43.9	45.9	45.8		55.6	47.6	43.3	48.9		33.7	33.7	$12,338

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Cass Lake-Bena Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rank History for all students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rank History for Native American students at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Enrollment information for Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Cass Lake-Bena Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cass Lake-Bena Middle School