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Public middle school · Minneapolis Public School District · Minneapolis, Minnesota

Sanford Middle

Sanford Middle rates 7.8, among the strongest middle schools in Minneapolis Public School District, where the rated median is 5.8.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.8this school

7.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Minneapolis Public School District median is 5.8.

#305 of 2,005 schools in Minnesota · Minneapolis Public School District: 8 middle schools rated, median 5.8

The brief

A Minneapolis Public School District middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

Students at Sanford Middle score 52% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 50%).

It ranks 305 of 2,005 schools in Minnesota and 14 of 78 in Minneapolis Public School District.

Math48%7 points above the Minnesota average of 41%Grades 6–8 · 672 students tested · 2025 MCA
Reading57%8 points above the Minnesota average of 49%Grades 6–8 · 677 students tested · 2025 MCA
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 10 points since 2021, reaching 52% in 2025.2025 MCA; 40 test records from MN state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.6
40% of the rating
Academics
7.6
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.3
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 39% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 52% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 55406; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Sanford Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$91,865
Median home value
$335,500
Median rent
$1,276/mo
College educated
56%
Homeownership
66.8%
Poverty rate
8.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 55406; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
69
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
41
Some Transit
Bike Score
81
Very Bikeable
City reported crime
5,507/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Minneapolis. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Minneapolis), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
35.2%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Sanford Middlethis school
    7.8
  2. 7.4Compare →
  3. Aurora Middle School1.7 mi · charter
    6.1Compare →
  4. Avalon Middle School1.8 mi · charter
    6.1Compare →
  5. 6.0Compare →
  6. 5.8Compare →
  7. 4.3Compare →
  8. not ratedCompare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Sanford Middle among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Sanford Middle serve?

Sanford Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Sanford Middle?

Sanford Middle has an enrollment of approximately 705 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanford Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Sanford Middle is 18.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Sanford Middle rank in MN?

Sanford Middle ranks #305 of 2,005 schools in MN.

What is Sanford Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Sanford Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Sanford Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Sanford Middle has 39% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 52% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Sanford Middle a charter school?

No, Sanford Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Sanford Middle a Title I school?

No, Sanford Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sanford Middle?

35.2% of students at Sanford Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
705
Student-teacher ratio
18.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
39
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Hennepin County
Rank in district
#14 of 78
Schools in district
98
District spending per student
$21,839
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 55406)
35,863
Area average commute
22.5 min
Area median age
39.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Minnesota Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.