Willow Creek Middle

Summary:

Willow Creek Middle is a public middle school in Rochester, Minnesota, serving 890 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Rochester Public School District, which is ranked 205 out of 463 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Willow Creek Middle stands out for its relatively diverse student population, with 52% White, 12% African American, 23% Hispanic, 5% Asian, and 8% two or more races. However, the school's academic performance has been consistently in the lower half of Minnesota middle schools, ranking 308 out of 545 in the 2023-2024 school year and earning a 2-out-of-5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Asian students ranking 31st out of 111 Minnesota middle schools, African American students ranking 88th out of 179, and Hispanic students ranking 143rd out of 186.

Compared to nearby schools like Byron Middle School and John Adams Middle, Willow Creek Middle generally underperforms, with lower academic rankings, test scores, and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 39.58% in 2020-2021 to 45.06% in 2022-2023. These factors, along with the school's declining statewide ranking over the years, suggest that Willow Creek Middle may need to implement targeted interventions and strategies to address the academic needs of its diverse student population and improve its overall performance.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 2425 11th Ave SE
       Rochester, MN  55904-8888


(507) 328-5900

District: Rochester Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
308th of 545 Minnesota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,038 Help


Students who attend Willow Creek Middle usually attend:

High:    Mayo Senior High

Feeder schools for Willow Creek Middle:

Elementary:    Bamber Valley Elementary
    Folwell Elementary
    Franklin Elementary
    Pinewood Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  43.1 Help
Number of students:  890

Racial breakdown:

White:
52.0%
Hispanic:
23.4%
African American:
11.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  45.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Willow Creek Middle ranks worse than 56.5% of middle schools in Minnesota. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Rochester Public School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.44. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Willow Creek Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Rochester Public School District. Racial makeup is: White (52%), Hispanic (23.4%), African American (11.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 45.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Willow Creek Middle is 43.1, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Rochester Public School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Willow Creek Middle employs 20.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Willow Creek Middle is $12,038. 2 middle schools in the Rochester Public School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Willow Creek Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Willow Creek Middle 308th of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See Willow Creek Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Rochester Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Rochester Public School District 205th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Willow Creek Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 55.38 212th 387 45.2%
2005 74.68 98th 396 75.3%
2006 75.00 77th 406 81.0%
2007 77.56 62nd 403 84.6%
2008 69.84 112th 409 72.6%
2009 73.66 43rd 230 81.3%
2010 73.17 93rd 454 79.5%
2011 69.95 118th 478 75.3%
2012 61.88 193rd 469 58.8%
2013 49.92 266th 488 45.5%
2014 47.02 277th 490 43.5%
2015 54.40 235th 516 54.5%
2016 65.64 168th 508 66.9%
2017 43.87 318th 523 39.2%
2018 38.16 356th 518 31.3%
2019 30.72 399th 533 25.1%
2021 23.00 418th 521 19.8%
2022 18.43 437th 520 16.0%
2024 44.44 308th 545 43.5%
See the entire list of Minnesota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.35 96th 114 15.8%
2019 19.95 105th 120 12.5%
2021 13.57 93rd 97 4.1%
2022 7.03 128th 131 2.3%
2024 18.82 103rd 116 11.2%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.72 96th 109 11.9%
2019 27.22 108th 120 10.0%
2021 63.89 16th 102 84.3%
2022 26.26 122nd 130 6.2%
2024 38.32 92nd 158 41.8%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.03 172nd 253 32.0%
2019 29.20 220th 282 22.0%
2021 22.86 221st 260 15.0%
2022 25.38 229th 288 20.5%
2024 37.22 196th 307 36.2%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.90 357th 401 11.0%
2019 11.57 393rd 415 5.3%
2021 19.07 354th 399 11.3%
2022 13.21 379th 404 6.2%
2024 24.48 386th 473 18.4%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 30.28 12th 15 20.0%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.78 325th 436 25.5%
2019 27.25 349th 439 20.5%
2021 16.24 387th 443 12.6%
2022 16.26 403rd 467 13.7%
2024 41.70 288th 474 39.2%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.94 313th 438 28.5%
2019 29.62 346th 454 23.8%
2021 27.08 334th 437 23.6%
2022 18.64 402nd 476 15.5%
2024 41.58 283rd 479 40.9%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.55 60th 108 44.4%
2019 34.03 76th 112 32.1%
2021 33.61 54th 87 37.9%
2022 22.28 82nd 110 25.5%
2024 73.75 31st 111 72.1%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.30 94th 137 31.4%
2019 19.50 131st 148 11.5%
2021 36.24 97th 141 31.2%
2022 19.56 141st 162 13.0%
2024 47.15 88th 179 50.8%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.70 145th 163 11.0%
2019 16.04 166th 171 2.9%
2021 27.16 128th 156 17.9%
2022 16.44 179th 188 4.8%
2024 29.77 143rd 186 23.1%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Willow Creek Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.97 258th 428 39.7%
2019 38.62 288th 428 32.7%
2021 15.11 388th 422 8.1%
2022 17.38 395th 438 9.8%
2024 46.23 229th 440 48.0%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for White 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.

Willow Creek Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Willow Creek Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 1051 16 60 19 5 n/a n/a 0 1151
1995 1041 23 54 18 1 n/a n/a 0 1137
1996 1041 23 54 18 1 n/a n/a 0 1137
1997 992 37 45 22 1 n/a n/a 0 1097
1998 984 42 67 43 1 n/a n/a 0 1137
1999 956 50 73 29 1 n/a n/a 0 1109
2000 928 52 77 26 0 n/a n/a 0 1083
2001 876 51 71 33 0 n/a n/a 0 1031
2002 867 80 53 61 5 n/a n/a 0 1066
2003 867 80 53 61 5 n/a n/a 0 1066
2004 870 83 54 63 6 n/a n/a 0 1076
2005 832 73 51 75 4 n/a n/a 0 1035
2006 777 74 56 95 4 n/a n/a 0 1006
2007 758 90 77 96 2 n/a n/a 0 1023
2008 746 83 76 95 5 n/a n/a 0 1005
2009 721 96 88 105 3 n/a n/a 0 1013
2010 692 113 85 123 3 n/a n/a 0 1016
2011 674 104 86 130 0 2 14 0 1010
2012 687 111 79 143 3 1 19 0 1043
2013 675 124 84 147 4 0 30 0 1064
2014 659 130 79 146 3 1 27 0 1045
2015 650 130 78 163 1 0 25 0 1047
2016 508 92 53 121 1 0 25 0 800
2017 651 140 78 209 4 1 43 0 1126
2018 617 144 81 214 7 1 52 0 1116
2019 563 135 80 237 9 1 60 0 1085
2020 539 133 62 209 5 2 73 0 1023
2021 532 128 55 212 4 0 72 0 1003
2022 490 135 40 206 1 2 82 0 956
2023 463 103 45 208 2 1 68 0 890

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 Willow Creek Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 1151 62.8 18.3 11.6
1995 1137 65.7 17.3 10.3
1996 1137 65.7 17.3 10.3
1997 1097 62.7 17.5 10.9
1998 1137 n/a 0.0 16.4
1999 1109 64.8 17.1 14.8
2000 1083 63.6 17.0 17.6
2001 1031 60.2 17.1 18.2
2002 1066 59.6 17.9 23.2
2003 1066 59.6 17.9 23.2
2004 1076 59.7 18.0 23.1
2005 1035 59.5 17.4 26.6
2006 1006 59.6 16.9 27.4
2007 1023 59.8 17.1 28.3
2008 1005 60.6 16.6 28.2
2009 1013 57.0 17.8 30.5
2010 1016 52.7 19.2 34.2
2011 1010 51.7 19.5 35.8
2012 1043 65.5 15.9 38.4
2013 1064 64.4 16.5 42
2014 1045 65.9 15.8 42.7
2015 1047 66.0 15.8 46.2
2016 800 72.0 11.1 42.3
2017 1126 73.9 15.2 44
2018 1116 74.5 14.9 44
2019 1085 55.6 19.5 45.4
2020 1023 30.6 33.4 45.7
2021 1003 23.5 42.5 39.6
2022 956 32.0 29.8 45.8
2023 890 20.6 43.1 45.1

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 Willow Creek Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 1151 62.8 18.3 11.6
1995 1137 65.7 17.3 10.3
1996 1137 65.7 17.3 10.3
1997 1097 62.7 17.5 10.9
1998 1137 n/a 0.0 16.4
1999 1109 64.8 17.1 14.8
2000 1083 63.6 17.0 17.6
2001 1031 60.2 17.1 18.2
2002 1066 59.6 17.9 23.2
2003 1066 59.6 17.9 23.2
2004 1076 59.7 18.0 23.1
2005 1035 59.5 17.4 26.6
2006 1006 59.6 16.9 27.4
2007 1023 59.8 17.1 28.3
2008 1005 60.6 16.6 28.2
2009 1013 57.0 17.8 30.5
2010 1016 52.7 19.2 34.2
2011 1010 51.7 19.5 35.8
2012 1043 65.5 15.9 38.4
2013 1064 64.4 16.5 42
2014 1045 65.9 15.8 42.7
2015 1047 66.0 15.8 46.2
2016 800 72.0 11.1 42.3
2017 1126 73.9 15.2 44
2018 1116 74.5 14.9 44
2019 1085 55.6 19.5 45.4
2020 1023 30.6 33.4 45.7
2021 1003 23.5 42.5 39.6
2022 956 32.0 29.8 45.8
2023 890 20.6 43.1 45.1

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 Willow Creek Middle

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $12,038

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Willow Creek Middle

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
Pandemic (2021-2022)
Change (%)
Ranks 399th of 533 Middle schoolsRanks 437th of 520 Middle schools
 9.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Pandemic (2021-2022)
Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Willow Creek Middle)36.116.2
 19.9%
   6th Grade Math (Rochester Public School District)44.828.8
 16.1%
   6th Grade Math (Minnesota)50.539.3
 11.2%
6th Grade Reading (Willow Creek Middle)49.332.2
 17%
   6th Grade Reading (Rochester Public School District)58.547.5
 11%
   6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)62.854.4
 8.4%
7th Grade Math (Willow Creek Middle)34.916.2
 18.8%
   7th Grade Math (Rochester Public School District)43.930.2
 13.8%
   7th Grade Math (Minnesota)52.137.6
 14.5%
7th Grade Reading (Willow Creek Middle)41.922.7
 19.2%
   7th Grade Reading (Rochester Public School District)52.541.3
 11.2%
   7th Grade Reading (Minnesota)57.545.5
 12%
8th Grade Math (Willow Creek Middle)36.714.7
 22%
   8th Grade Math (Rochester Public School District)43.627.6
 15.9%
   8th Grade Math (Minnesota)55.240.1
 15.1%
8th Grade Reading (Willow Creek Middle)47.930.4
 17.5%
   8th Grade Reading (Rochester Public School District)51.141.4
 9.7%
   8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)57.746.4
 11.3%
8th Grade Science (Willow Creek Middle)28.515.8
 12.7%
   8th Grade Science (Rochester Public School District)36.423.4
 13%
   8th Grade Science (Minnesota)4329.2
 13.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1085890
 18%
African American135103
 23.7%
American Indian92
 77.8%
Asian8045
 43.8%
Hispanic237208
 12.2%
Pacific Islander11
White563463
 17.8%
Two or More Races6068
 13.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.4%45.1%
 0.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Creek Middle

Students at Willow Creek Middle are 52% White, 23% Hispanic, 12% African American, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

Willow Creek Middle ranks 308th of 545 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 890 students attended Willow Creek Middle.

Students who attend Willow Creek Middle usually go on to attend Mayo Senior High


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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