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Staples City HallPhoto: MayorMetz · CC BY-SA 3.0
B
Schools in Staples · Staples-Motley School District

Staples’s public schools outscore 63% of Minnesota districts

98% of Staples’s students graduate on time, above the Minnesota average (83%). The grade covers the public school district serving Staples, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Minnesota, not nationally.

#163of 274 Minnesota townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Minnesota state tests taken in spring 2022, when 97% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
45%
▼ 6 pts vs MN 51%
2021–22
Math proficiency
41%
▼ 4 pts vs MN 45%
2021–22
Graduate on time
95–100%
▲ 12–17 pts vs MN 83%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$15.5K
▼ 9% vs MN $17.1K
FY2024
Students per teacher
14.6
MN 14.8
Schools in town
4
901 students on the public path
In brief

Staples’s schools, in brief

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 45% of tested students were proficient in reading and 41% in math, against 51% and 45% statewide; 97% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

95–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 83% across Minnesota (the state reports Staples’s rate as a range). Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $15,538 per student, against $17,091 across Minnesota (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle and one high school

From grade 5 the district’s path is Staples-Motley Middle School, then Staples-Motley Senior High. Enrollment is down 8% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Choice beyond the district

Sacred Heart Area School (private) is in town. Every school ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Staples’s grade

C+ Test scoresA Graduation

B: better than 63% of Minnesota school districts, #163 of 274 Minnesota towns. Graduation is above the Minnesota average; test scores are below it.

Minnesota school districts we grade (502)Better than 63%
Lower resultsHigher results
Minnesota towns with similar household incomes (542)Better than 65%
B−A−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 504 test results and a graduating class of 79 could put Staples anywhere from B− to A−. The tests are from spring 2022, when 97% of Staples’s students in the tested grades sat them (503 in math, 504 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Staples, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–4Staples-Motley ElementaryStaples-Motley School DistrictC+
5–8Staples-Motley Middle SchoolStaples-Motley School DistrictC
9–12Staples-Motley Senior HighStaples-Motley School DistrictC

Staples’s public schools are run by Staples-Motley School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Staples-Motley School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 3 schools · 901 students, down 8% since 2020–21 · 14.6 per teacher (MN 14.8)
$15,538MN $17,091 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading45%
State average 51.1% · 504 students tested
Math41%
State average 44.8% · 503 students tested

Staples vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Minnesota towns that share Staples’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
StaplesBStaples-Motley
Staples Township—Staples-Motley
Thomastown—Staples-Motley
Villard—Staples-Motley

All 3 neighbors share Staples-Motley with Staples, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.

Every school in Staples

4 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Minnesota’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Staplesby address
Staples-Motley Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4
C+
308 students13:1Rate it →
Staples-Motley Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8
C
284 students15:1Rate it →
Staples-Motley Senior High
High · Grades 9–12
C
309 students16:1Rate it →
Private schoolstuition; no state tests, so no grade
Sacred Heart Area School
Elementary · Grades PK–6
Private · Catholic
109 students16:1Rate it →

Left off: 2 public programs with fewer than 25 students (Freshwater Staples ALC and FED Staples-Motley Credit Recovery).

Questions about Staples’s schools

Are Staples’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of Minnesota: the public schools Staples children attend outscore 63% of Minnesota’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #163 of 274 Minnesota towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 65%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Staples in?

Staples-Motley School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 901 students in 3 schools (2024–25).

Where do Staples kids go to high school?

Staples-Motley Senior High, with 309 students; its own test results earn a C.

What is Staples’s graduation rate?

95–100% of the class of 2023 in Staples-Motley School District graduated in four years, against 83% across Minnesota.

How much does Staples spend per student?

$15,538 in Staples-Motley School District (FY2024), against $17,091 across Minnesota. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Are there private schools in Staples?

Yes: Sacred Heart Area School (Catholic, grades PK–6, 109 students).

Parents talk

What Staples families are saying about school.

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Looking for colleges? Colleges near Staples → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Minnesota. Stars are from neighbors.