South Junior High

Summary:

South Junior High is a public middle school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 867 students. The school is part of the St. Cloud Public School District, which is ranked 349 out of 463 districts in Minnesota and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Junior High faces several key challenges, including low academic performance, significant racial and socioeconomic disparities, and declining statewide rankings. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (45.44%) compared to the state average and nearby schools, and its academic performance, as measured by MCA-III test scores, is generally lower than the state and district averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 23.51% of students were proficient or better in Math, compared to the state average of 45.47%. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American, Hispanic, and Special Education students struggling the most.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Sartell Middle, which has over 60% of students proficient in Math and Reading, South Junior High performs significantly worse across most academic metrics. The school also has a very high percentage of students (72.9% in 2022-2023) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improve educational outcomes for all students at the school.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1120 15th Ave S
       Saint Cloud, MN  56301-5405


(320) 370-7230

District: St. Cloud Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
363rd of 545 Minnesota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,481 Help


Students who attend South Junior High usually attend:

High:    Technical Senior High

Feeder schools for South Junior High:

Elementary:    Clearview Elementary
    Discovery Community Elementary
    Oak Hill Community Elementary
    Talahi Community Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  21.8 Help
Number of students:  867

Racial breakdown:

African American:
45.4%
White:
37.8%
Two or more races:
7.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  72.9% Help


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 Compare South Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details South Junior High ranks worse than 66.6% of middle schools in Minnesota. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.4. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (45.4%), White (37.8%), two or more races (7.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 72.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Junior High is 21.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare South Junior High employs 39.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Junior High is $12,481.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks South Junior High 363rd of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See South Junior High 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:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


St. Cloud Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Cloud Public School District 349th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for South Junior High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 69.88 131st 387 66.1%
2005 56.35 218th 396 44.9%
2006 69.54 106th 406 73.9%
2007 62.77 146th 403 63.8%
2008 59.32 184th 409 55.0%
2010 64.12 170th 454 62.6%
2011 59.00 194th 478 59.4%
2012 57.94 225th 469 52.0%
2013 60.11 188th 488 61.5%
2014 48.40 273rd 490 44.3%
2015 45.82 297th 516 42.4%
2016 32.68 379th 508 25.4%
2017 31.65 381st 523 27.2%
2018 26.82 406th 518 21.6%
2019 31.07 396th 533 25.7%
2021 32.82 365th 521 29.9%
2022 38.31 331st 520 36.3%
2023 32.59 375th 529 29.1%
2024 34.40 363rd 545 33.4%
See the entire list of Minnesota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.35 111th 114 2.6%
2019 12.61 114th 120 5.0%
2021 13.93 91st 97 6.2%
2022 18.80 116th 131 11.5%
2023 23.70 94th 107 12.1%
2024 24.18 99th 116 14.7%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.36 70th 109 35.8%
2019 34.32 92nd 120 23.3%
2021 49.87 40th 102 60.8%
2022 55.64 35th 130 73.1%
2023 43.20 67th 133 49.6%
2024 43.74 69th 158 56.3%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.95 203rd 253 19.8%
2019 37.76 180th 282 36.2%
2021 51.09 111th 260 57.3%
2022 53.19 116th 288 59.7%
2023 41.68 173rd 298 41.9%
2024 30.68 230th 307 25.1%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.84 360th 401 10.2%
2019 20.73 356th 415 14.2%
2021 27.80 315th 399 21.1%
2022 35.01 281st 404 30.4%
2023 28.85 338th 459 26.4%
2024 27.07 375th 473 20.7%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 29.12 13th 19 31.6%
2023 56.17 6th 20 70.0%
2024 64.63 5th 30 83.3%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.45 380th 436 12.8%
2019 22.88 367th 439 16.4%
2021 35.31 303rd 443 31.6%
2022 38.04 313th 467 33.0%
2023 33.01 332nd 455 27.0%
2024 34.97 327th 474 31.0%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.12 345th 438 21.2%
2019 34.00 322nd 454 29.1%
2021 27.08 333rd 437 23.8%
2022 34.43 326th 476 31.5%
2023 28.22 339th 464 26.9%
2024 28.56 365th 479 23.8%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.14 119th 137 13.1%
2019 23.40 121st 148 18.2%
2021 27.75 112th 141 20.6%
2022 33.50 107th 162 34.0%
2023 24.71 132nd 164 19.5%
2024 27.75 137th 179 23.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.78 100th 163 38.7%
2019 75.86 26th 171 84.8%
2021 70.87 27th 156 82.7%
2022 46.54 93rd 188 50.5%
2023 28.03 140th 178 21.3%
2024 31.42 137th 186 26.3%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 68.09 13th 49 73.5%
See the entire list of Best Minnesota Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at South Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.48 138th 428 67.8%
2019 63.72 137th 428 68.0%
2021 55.27 163rd 422 61.4%
2022 67.62 105th 438 76.0%
2023 61.47 151st 436 65.4%
2024 55.97 176th 440 60.0%
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.

South Junior High 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 South Junior High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 805 11 28 6 10 n/a n/a 0 860
1989 829 5 32 4 3 n/a n/a 0 873
1990 849 9 21 4 8 n/a n/a 0 891
1991 714 4 9 4 1 n/a n/a 0 732
1992 723 5 12 6 1 n/a n/a 0 747
1993 834 7 14 4 5 n/a n/a 0 864
1994 866 7 10 4 6 n/a n/a 0 893
1995 898 16 21 2 12 n/a n/a 0 949
1996 898 16 21 2 12 n/a n/a 0 949
1997 894 17 15 7 12 n/a n/a 0 945
1998 896 17 20 10 9 n/a n/a 0 952
1999 861 21 20 4 4 n/a n/a 0 910
2000 813 20 17 5 4 n/a n/a 0 859
2001 735 28 18 5 1 n/a n/a 0 787
2002 709 50 20 5 7 n/a n/a 0 791
2003 709 50 20 5 7 n/a n/a 0 791
2004 707 47 19 8 6 n/a n/a 0 787
2005 689 58 13 8 5 n/a n/a 0 773
2006 640 65 10 10 6 n/a n/a 0 731
2007 637 91 13 13 11 n/a n/a 0 765
2008 572 87 18 13 12 n/a n/a 0 702
2009 518 87 23 22 5 n/a n/a 0 655
2010 554 102 19 19 3 n/a n/a 0 697
2011 633 101 18 32 4 0 34 0 822
2012 612 107 26 35 6 2 34 0 822
2013 609 141 28 35 5 1 42 0 861
2014 615 214 35 39 10 0 48 0 961
2015 592 245 31 47 11 0 55 0 981
2016 514 318 19 45 5 0 56 0 957
2017 433 346 9 50 4 0 55 0 897
2018 436 445 13 47 3 0 50 0 994
2019 413 416 13 53 2 0 57 0 954
2020 402 381 19 60 2 0 62 0 926
2021 377 383 16 60 3 2 69 0 910
2022 346 386 19 46 10 3 75 0 885
2023 328 394 15 54 11 2 63 0 867

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 South Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 860 37.4 22.9 16
1989 873 42.6 20.4 0
1990 891 44.7 19.9 17.2
1991 732 37.2 19.6 0
1992 747 32.6 22.9 11
1993 864 35.2 24.5 9.1
1994 893 36.1 24.7 14.2
1995 949 0.0 0.0 13.3
1996 949 0.0 0.0 13.3
1997 945 43.9 21.5 12.6
1998 952 n/a 0.0 12.6
1999 910 49.8 18.3 12
2000 859 42.3 20.3 18
2001 787 40.3 19.5 17.8
2002 791 39.0 20.3 25.8
2003 791 39.0 20.3 25.8
2004 787 40.0 19.7 26.3
2005 773 44.2 17.5 27.7
2006 731 38.9 18.8 29.1
2007 765 38.5 19.9 31.8
2008 702 39.6 17.7 33.9
2009 655 34.8 18.8 37.6
2010 697 39.9 17.4 37
2011 822 45.1 18.2 37.2
2012 822 43.2 19.0 37.7
2013 861 41.9 20.5 42.5
2014 961 52.2 18.4 48.2
2015 981 54.0 18.1 51.2
2016 957 57.0 16.7 55.8
2017 897 59.0 15.1 61.5
2018 994 55.3 17.9 63.2
2019 954 56.1 16.9 62.4
2020 926 58.0 15.9 63
2021 910 46.8 19.4 56.5
2022 885 52.3 16.9 57.5
2023 867 39.6 21.8 72.9

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 South Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 860 37.4 22.9 16
1989 873 42.6 20.4 0
1990 891 44.7 19.9 17.2
1991 732 37.2 19.6 0
1992 747 32.6 22.9 11
1993 864 35.2 24.5 9.1
1994 893 36.1 24.7 14.2
1995 949 0.0 0.0 13.3
1996 949 0.0 0.0 13.3
1997 945 43.9 21.5 12.6
1998 952 n/a 0.0 12.6
1999 910 49.8 18.3 12
2000 859 42.3 20.3 18
2001 787 40.3 19.5 17.8
2002 791 39.0 20.3 25.8
2003 791 39.0 20.3 25.8
2004 787 40.0 19.7 26.3
2005 773 44.2 17.5 27.7
2006 731 38.9 18.8 29.1
2007 765 38.5 19.9 31.8
2008 702 39.6 17.7 33.9
2009 655 34.8 18.8 37.6
2010 697 39.9 17.4 37
2011 822 45.1 18.2 37.2
2012 822 43.2 19.0 37.7
2013 861 41.9 20.5 42.5
2014 961 52.2 18.4 48.2
2015 981 54.0 18.1 51.2
2016 957 57.0 16.7 55.8
2017 897 59.0 15.1 61.5
2018 994 55.3 17.9 63.2
2019 954 56.1 16.9 62.4
2020 926 58.0 15.9 63
2021 910 46.8 19.4 56.5
2022 885 52.3 16.9 57.5
2023 867 39.6 21.8 72.9

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 South Junior High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $12,481

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

Impact of COVID-19 on South Junior High

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 396th of 533 Middle schoolsRanks 375th of 529 Middle schools
 3.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Math (South Junior High)35.521.7
 13.9%
   6th Grade Math (St. Cloud Public School District)3222.1
 9.9%
   6th Grade Math (Minnesota)50.539.7
 10.8%
6th Grade Reading (South Junior High)53.239.1
 14.1%
   6th Grade Reading (St. Cloud Public School District)47.637.6
 10%
   6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)62.853.4
 9.4%
7th Grade Math (South Junior High)29.620.8
 8.9%
   7th Grade Math (St. Cloud Public School District)29.820.7
 9.1%
   7th Grade Math (Minnesota)52.139.7
 12.4%
7th Grade Reading (South Junior High)40.333.5
 6.9%
   7th Grade Reading (St. Cloud Public School District)43.434.5
 8.9%
   7th Grade Reading (Minnesota)57.545.2
 12.3%
8th Grade Math (South Junior High)39.125.3
 13.8%
   8th Grade Math (St. Cloud Public School District)33.423.5
 9.9%
   8th Grade Math (Minnesota)55.240.3
 14.9%
8th Grade Reading (South Junior High)45.931.1
 14.8%
   8th Grade Reading (St. Cloud Public School District)45.333.2
 12.1%
   8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)57.744.8
 12.9%
8th Grade Science (South Junior High)3224.6
 7.4%
   8th Grade Science (St. Cloud Public School District)28.621.6
 7%
   8th Grade Science (Minnesota)4327.6
 15.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students954867
 9.1%
African American416394
 5.3%
American Indian211
 450%
Asian1315
 15.4%
Hispanic5354
 1.9%
Pacific Islander02
White413328
 20.6%
Two or More Races5763
 10.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients62.4%72.9%
 10.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about South Junior High

Students at South Junior High are 45% African American, 38% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 867 students attended South Junior High.

South Junior High ranks 363rd of 545 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend South Junior High usually go on to attend Technical 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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