Is Waseca Junior High a good school?

Waseca Junior High ranks 198 th of 545 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waseca Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 266 students attended Waseca Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of Waseca Junior High?

Students at Waseca Junior High are 69% White, 20% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Waseca Junior High attend?

Students who attend Waseca Junior High usually go on to attend Waseca Senior High

Waseca Junior High

Summary:

Waseca Junior High is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in Waseca, Minnesota, part of the Waseca Public School District. The school has seen a decline in racial diversity, with the percentage of white students increasing from 80% in 2020-2021 to 74.52% in 2022-2023.

Academically, Waseca Junior High's performance, as measured by MCA-III proficiency rates, is generally below the state averages across all subjects and grade levels. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 26.61% in Science to 45.06% in Reading, compared to the state averages of 39.56% and 49.85%, respectively. The school's statewide ranking among Minnesota middle schools has fluctuated, currently at 198 out of 545 with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Student subgroup performance varies, with Hispanic students and students with special education needs tending to perform below the school's overall averages.

Compared to nearby schools, Waseca Junior High's academic performance is lower than Waseca Intermediate School, which serves grades 4-6 and has higher proficiency rates. However, Waseca Junior High outperforms the more distant Faribault Middle School. Waseca Junior High has also seen a significant increase in its free and reduced lunch rate, from 28.62% in 2020-2021 to 43.24% in 2022-2023, and has a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 19.9, higher than nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 7-8

1717 2nd St NW
Waseca, MN 56093-2299

(507) 835-5470

District: Waseca Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
198^th of 545 Minnesota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,561

Students who attend Waseca Junior High usually attend:

High:

Waseca Senior High

Feeder schools for Waseca Junior High:

Elementary:

Hartley Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 21.6

Number of students: 266

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.2%

Hispanic:

19.9%

Two or more races:

6.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.4%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Waseca Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waseca Junior High ranks better than 63.7% of middle schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.51. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.2%), Hispanic (19.9%), two or more races (6.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Waseca Public School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waseca Junior High is 21.6. 1 middle schools in the Waseca Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Waseca Junior High employs 12.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waseca Junior High is $8,561. 1 middle schools in the Waseca Public School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waseca Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Waseca Junior High 198^th of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See Waseca Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Waseca Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waseca Public School District 236^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Waseca Junior High?

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Rank History for Waseca Junior High

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Rank History for all students at Waseca Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	44.77	270^th	387	30.2%
2005	62.94	181^st	396	54.3%
2006	65.92	139^th	406	65.8%
2007	82.70	40^th	403	90.1%
2008	77.10	61^st	409	85.1%
2010	82.30	44^th	454	90.3%
2011	79.74	62^nd	478	87.0%
2012	67.75	145^th	469	69.1%
2013	71.07	127^th	488	74.0%
2014	64.73	170^th	490	65.3%
2015	57.81	219^th	516	57.6%
2016	56.28	226^th	508	55.5%
2017	59.37	223^rd	523	57.4%
2018	53.10	271^st	518	47.7%
2019	46.09	315^th	533	40.9%
2021	49.42	255^th	521	51.1%
2022	43.39	305^th	520	41.3%
2023	53.47	237^th	529	55.2%
2024	59.51	198^th	545	63.7%

See the entire list of Minnesota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waseca Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	34.72	173^rd	253	31.6%
2019	46.81	149^th	282	47.2%
2021	36.16	178^th	260	31.5%
2022	39.33	183^rd	288	36.5%
2023	48.97	141^st	298	52.7%
2024	38.05	194^th	307	36.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	56.07	168^th	401	58.1%
2019	52.44	190^th	415	54.2%
2021	31.04	296^th	399	25.8%
2022	48.10	203^rd	404	49.8%
2023	59.84	144^th	459	68.6%
2024	57.55	164^th	473	65.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Waseca Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	58.24	192^nd	436	56.0%
2019	44.41	271^st	439	38.3%
2021	43.92	253^rd	443	42.9%
2022	41.72	287^th	467	38.5%
2023	52.67	209^th	455	54.1%
2024	56.02	194^th	474	59.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Waseca Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	42.52	286^th	438	34.7%
2019	41.47	282^nd	454	37.9%
2021	50.17	219^th	437	49.9%
2022	39.97	293^rd	476	38.4%
2023	48.58	239^th	464	48.5%
2024	56.09	195^th	479	59.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waseca Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	21.85	151^st	171	11.7%
2021	31.98	117^th	156	25.0%
2022	13.46	182^nd	188	3.2%
2023	38.27	106^th	178	40.4%
2024	46.13	89^th	186	52.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Waseca Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	41.99	272^nd	428	36.4%
2019	38.29	290^th	428	32.2%
2021	37.56	261^st	422	38.2%
2022	34.31	295^th	438	32.6%
2023	44.38	245^th	436	43.8%
2024	48.73	217^th	440	50.7%

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.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Waseca Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1998	390	2	4	8	1	n/a	n/a	405
1999	389	5	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	412
2000	359	6	6	15	1	n/a	n/a	387
2001	358	11	4	14	4	n/a	n/a	391
2002	323	14	1	20	2	n/a	n/a	360
2003	323	14	1	20	2	n/a	n/a	360
2004	324	7	2	26	2	n/a	n/a	361
2005	322	6	1	19	2	n/a	n/a	350
2006	294	4	2	26	1	n/a	n/a	327
2007	276	3	4	30	0	n/a	n/a	313
2008	269	2	2	29	0	n/a	n/a	302
2009	266	5	6	35	1	n/a	n/a	313
2010	274	7	4	34	0	n/a	n/a	319
2011	279	8	2	32	0	0	4	325
2012	274	6	3	36	2	0	3	324
2013	287	4	1	32	2	0	1	327
2014	302	8	0	34	1	0	3	348
2015	268	8	2	47	1	0	3	329
2016	261	12	5	48	2	0	0	328
2017	282	12	2	31	1	0	4	332
2018	269	9	1	37	4	0	5	325
2019	248	7	5	47	2	0	6	315
2020	257	6	7	50	0	0	9	329
2021	260	9	1	39	0	0	16	325
2022	228	7	1	36	0	0	18	290
2023	193	8	3	38	0	0	17	259
2024	184	6	5	53	0	0	18	266

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 Waseca Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	405	n/a	0.0	15.3
1999	412	29.4	14.0	14.8
2000	387	27.0	14.3	23
2001	391	22.9	17.1	18.4
2002	360	23.5	15.3	21.4
2003	360	23.5	15.3	21.4
2004	361	20.6	17.5	24.9
2005	350	22.6	15.5	26
2006	327	21.8	15.0	26.9
2007	313	22.7	13.8	26.2
2008	302	21.1	14.3	26.2
2009	313	20.6	15.2	24.9
2010	319	19.9	16.0	32.9
2011	325	17.6	18.4	32.9
2012	324	13.4	24.0	34.6
2013	327	15.3	21.3	40.4
2014	348	16.9	20.4	45.1
2015	329	18.0	18.2	49.2
2016	328	16.0	20.5	39
2017	332	15.0	22.0	32.2
2018	325	17.3	18.6	36
2019	315	17.7	17.7	31.7
2020	329	20.3	16.1	35.9
2021	325	15.9	20.3	28.6
2022	290	15.1	19.1	28.3
2023	259	12.9	19.9	43.2
2024	266	12.2	21.6	47.4

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 Waseca Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	405	n/a	0.0	15.3
1999	412	29.4	14.0	14.8
2000	387	27.0	14.3	23
2001	391	22.9	17.1	18.4
2002	360	23.5	15.3	21.4
2003	360	23.5	15.3	21.4
2004	361	20.6	17.5	24.9
2005	350	22.6	15.5	26
2006	327	21.8	15.0	26.9
2007	313	22.7	13.8	26.2
2008	302	21.1	14.3	26.2
2009	313	20.6	15.2	24.9
2010	319	19.9	16.0	32.9
2011	325	17.6	18.4	32.9
2012	324	13.4	24.0	34.6
2013	327	15.3	21.3	40.4
2014	348	16.9	20.4	45.1
2015	329	18.0	18.2	49.2
2016	328	16.0	20.5	39
2017	332	15.0	22.0	32.2
2018	325	17.3	18.6	36
2019	315	17.7	17.7	31.7
2020	329	20.3	16.1	35.9
2021	325	15.9	20.3	28.6
2022	290	15.1	19.1	28.3
2023	259	12.9	19.9	43.2
2024	266	12.2	21.6	47.4

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 Waseca Junior High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,561

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waseca 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 315^th of 533 Middle schools	Ranks 237^th of 529 Middle schools	14.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Waseca Junior High)	46	23.2	22.8%
7th Grade Math (Waseca Public School District)	45	22.8	22.2%
7th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52.1	39.7	12.4%
7th Grade Reading (Waseca Junior High)	62	42.3	19.7%
7th Grade Reading (Waseca Public School District)	61.4	42.3	19.1%
7th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.5	45.2	12.3%
8th Grade Math (Waseca Junior High)	37	39.2	2.2%
8th Grade Math (Waseca Public School District)	36.5	37.8	1.3%
8th Grade Math (Minnesota)	55.2	40.3	14.9%
8th Grade Reading (Waseca Junior High)	48	41.5	6.4%
8th Grade Reading (Waseca Public School District)	47.8	40.7	7%
8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.7	44.8	12.9%
8th Grade Science (Waseca Junior High)	35.6	29.2	6.4%
8th Grade Science (Waseca Public School District)	34.6	28.4	6.3%
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	315	259	17.8%
African American	7	8	14.3%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	47	38	19.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	248	193	22.2%
Two or More Races	6	17	183.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.7%	43.2%	11.5%

Schools Near Waseca Junior High

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 4th Grade	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 4th Grade	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
Waseca Junior High	Public	7-8	1717 2nd St NW	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 835-5470	266	12	21.6	47.4%	184 (69.2%)	6 (2.3%)	53 (19.9%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.8%)	59.5	198^th of 545 public middle schools	63.7%		53.5	237^th of 529 public middle schools	55.2%	39				40.6	37.6	39.3				46.5	43.2	45.1		26.6	26.6	$8,561
Waseca Middle Level Alternative Learning Center	Public	7-8	1717 2nd St. NW	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 835-5588	3	0	4.7		2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																$3,904
Waseca Intermediate School	Public	4-6	400 19th Ave NW	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 835-3000	356	33	10.9	41.0%	274 (77.0%)	5 (1.4%)	51 (14.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (6.2%)								(n/a)	49.6	47.9	46.7			48.0	41.5	44.6	52.1			46.1	42.5		42.5	$13,181
Morristown Elementary	Public	5-6	23 Ann St	Morristown	55052	Rice County	Waterville-Elysian-Morristown	No	No	No	No	(507) 685-4222	118	10	12.0	24.6%	111 (94.1%)	1 (0.8%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)								(n/a)		13.9	52.0			30.4		59.1	62.0			60.3	41.5		41.5	$10,416
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Junior	Public	7-8	23 Ann St	Morristown	55052	Rice County	Waterville-Elysian-Morristown	No	No	No	No	(507) 685-4222	113	10	11.7	35.4%	97 (85.8%)	1 (0.9%)	10 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.4%)	83.8	58^th of 545 public middle schools	89.4%		70.2	126^th of 529 public middle schools	76.2%	68				54.2	64.2	58.9				61.0	51.9	56.6		34.6	34.6	$12,249
Owatonna Online 7-8	Public, Virtual	7-8	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(507) 444-8008	29	0		58.6%	9 (31.0%)	18 (62.1%)	1 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.4%)	34.1	367^th of 545 public middle schools	32.7%		27.6	399^th of 529 public middle schools	24.6%	32				8.7	25.0	14.3				27.3	50.0	35.3		33.3	33.3
Owatonna Summer School 6-8	Public	6-8	500 15th St NE	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8702	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																$3,535
Owatonna Middle School	Public	6-8	500 15th St NE	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8700	1,015	66	15.2	45.6%	720 (70.9%)	69 (6.8%)	172 (16.9%)	11 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	39 (3.8%)	57.2	221^st of 545 public middle schools	59.4%		56.8	213^th of 529 public middle schools	59.7%	8			39.9	47.5	37.9	41.9			51.3	45.4	39.6	45.4		22.4	22.4	$12,167
Falcons Online Academy-Middle	Public, Virtual	5-8	710 17th St SW	Faribault	55021	Rice County	Faribault Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(507) 333-6000	10	1	8.4	70.0%	6 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (30.0%)	1 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Faribault Middle	Public	6-8	704 17th St SW	Faribault	55021	Rice County	Faribault Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 333-6300	636	49	13.0	71.4%	222 (34.9%)	153 (24.1%)	216 (34.0%)	13 (2.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.7%)	17	468^th of 545 public middle schools	14.1%		18.2	446^th of 529 public middle schools	15.7%	22			7.7	12.6	19.5	13.4			34.9	20.2	28.7	27.9		12.7	12.7	$15,710

Waseca Junior High

Waseca Junior High:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Waseca Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Waseca Junior High

Rank History for all students at Waseca Junior High

Rank History for Special Education students at Waseca Junior High

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

Rank History for Female students at Waseca Junior High

Rank History for Male students at Waseca Junior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waseca Junior High

Rank History for White students at Waseca Junior High

Enrollment information for Waseca Junior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waseca Junior High

Student/Teacher Ratio Waseca Junior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waseca Junior High

Impact of COVID-19 on Waseca Junior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Waseca Junior High

Frequently Asked Questions about Waseca Junior High

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