Is Staples-Motley Senior High a good school?

Staples-Motley Senior High ranks 168 th of 480 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Staples-Motley Senior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 318 students attended Staples-Motley Senior High.

What is the racial makeup of Staples-Motley Senior High?

Students at Staples-Motley Senior High are 90% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What schools feed into Staples-Motley Senior High?

Staples-Motley Senior High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Staples-Motley Elementary Middle : Motley-Staples Middle School

Staples-Motley Senior High

Summary:

Staples-Motley Senior High is a public high school serving 335 students in grades 9-12 in Staples, Minnesota. The school is part of the Staples-Motley School District, which is ranked 230 out of 463 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Staples-Motley Senior High has a predominantly white student population, with 88.96% of students identifying as white, which is higher than the nearby schools like Freshwater Education District Alternative Learning Center (81.82%) and Pillager Senior High School (91.67%). The school's academic performance has been mixed, with its statewide ranking ranging from 115 out of 472 Minnesota high schools in 2021-2022 (4 stars) to 267 out of 428 in 2020-2021 (2 stars). In the 2023-2024 school year, Staples-Motley Senior High ranked 168 out of 480 Minnesota high schools, with a 3-star rating. Compared to nearby schools, Staples-Motley Senior High generally performs better than Browerville Secondary, Freshwater Education District Alternative Learning Center, and Verndale Secondary, but lags behind Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High and Pillager Senior High School in academic rankings.

Staples-Motley Senior High has shown strong graduation rates, with a 95.4% four-year graduation rate in 2021-2022, higher than the nearby schools. However, the school has seen an increase in the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, from 23.85% in 2021-2022 to 36.12% in 2022-2023, suggesting a growing population of students from lower-income backgrounds. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio has risen from 13.4 in 2020-2021 to 17.9 in 2022-2023, which may impact the school's ability to provide personalized attention and support to its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

401 Centennial Dr
Staples, MN 56479-2118

(218) 894-2431

District: Staples-Motley School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
168^th of 480 Minnesota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,669

Feeder schools for Staples-Motley Senior High:

Elementary:	Staples-Motley Elementary
Middle:	Motley-Staples Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 318

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.9%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.7%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Staples-Motley Senior High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Staples-Motley Senior High is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.12. (See more...)

Compare Details Staples-Motley Senior High ranks better than 65% of high schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.4. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Staples-Motley Senior High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.9%), Hispanic (4.4%), two or more races (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Staples-Motley Senior High is 16. (See more...)

Compare Staples-Motley Senior High employs 19.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Staples-Motley Senior High is $13,669.

Schooldigger 2019 Rankings:

Staples-Motley Senior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Staples-Motley Senior High 168^th of 480 Minnesota public high schools. (See Staples-Motley Senior High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Staples-Motley School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Staples-Motley School District 230^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Staples-Motley Senior High

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2017	34.16	373^rd	523	28.7%
2018	45.10	326^th	518	37.1%
2019	39.12	350^th	533	34.3%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Staples-Motley Senior High

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Rank History for all high school students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	49.65	317^th	433	26.8%
2005	62.00	260^th	452	42.5%
2006	45.41	308^th	450	31.6%
2007	51.24	281^st	463	39.3%
2008	58.11	250^th	460	45.7%
2010	45.21	346^th	540	35.9%
2011	54.44	309^th	545	43.3%
2012	47.70	341^st	539	36.7%
2013	55.08	288^th	534	46.1%
2014	68.85	154^th	483	68.1%
2015	59.81	233^rd	504	53.8%
2016	52.76	273^rd	489	44.2%
2017	60.55	225^th	489	54.0%
2018	73.91	126^th	494	74.5%
2019	59.34	235^th	492	52.2%
2021	44.50	267^th	428	37.6%
2022	72.86	115^th	472	75.6%
2023	61.65	185^th	476	61.1%
2024	66.40	168^th	480	65.0%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	42.04	123^rd	195	36.9%
2019	23.81	186^th	220	15.5%
2021	8.53	171^st	173	1.2%
2022	49.39	107^th	214	50.0%
2023	37.89	145^th	216	32.9%
2024	55.73	92^nd	221	58.4%

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

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	80.42	51^st	374	86.4%
2019	77.54	64^th	370	82.7%
2021	61.37	94^th	270	65.2%
2022	81.32	34^th	312	89.1%
2023	54.33	172^nd	393	56.2%
2024	67.59	107^th	389	72.5%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	58.06	191^st	395	51.6%
2019	60.70	166^th	401	58.6%
2021	62.42	135^th	339	60.2%
2022	65.29	135^th	388	65.2%
2023	54.56	189^th	396	52.3%
2024	40.41	261^st	403	35.2%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	74.85	85^th	398	78.6%
2019	45.33	257^th	411	37.5%
2021	27.10	291^st	351	17.1%
2022	69.62	113^th	403	72.0%
2023	58.98	157^th	398	60.6%
2024	75.38	77^th	405	81.0%

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

Rank History for high school White students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	63.64	164^th	414	60.4%
2019	48.29	245^th	412	40.5%
2021	29.96	290^th	364	20.3%
2022	57.32	181^st	401	54.9%
2023	46.61	234^th	398	41.2%
2024	47.26	223^rd	402	44.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High 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 Staples-Motley Senior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	694	5	10	0	21	n/a	n/a	730
1989	557	4	11	2	28	n/a	n/a	602
1990	518	0	10	1	26	n/a	n/a	555
1991	877	5	5	0	5	n/a	n/a	892
1992	801	2	3	2	5	n/a	n/a	813
1993	812	2	7	1	5	n/a	n/a	827
1994	807	1	6	1	6	n/a	n/a	821
1995	581	0	4	2	7	n/a	n/a	594
1996	581	0	4	2	7	n/a	n/a	594
1997	617	1	3	2	5	n/a	n/a	628
1998	586	1	3	3	5	n/a	n/a	598
1999	581	1	2	5	4	n/a	n/a	593
2000	589	1	3	4	3	n/a	n/a	600
2001	580	1	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	584
2002	518	1	4	6	3	n/a	n/a	532
2003	518	1	4	6	3	n/a	n/a	532
2004	489	3	2	7	6	n/a	n/a	507
2005	459	6	8	11	7	n/a	n/a	491
2006	434	8	7	11	6	n/a	n/a	466
2007	456	7	11	9	6	n/a	n/a	489
2008	484	7	9	9	6	n/a	n/a	515
2009	494	6	10	13	9	n/a	n/a	532
2010	444	1	10	11	4	n/a	n/a	470
2011	437	3	9	13	5	0	0	467
2012	394	2	13	18	6	0	0	433
2013	345	3	6	20	1	0	4	379
2014	359	4	5	13	4	1	5	391
2015	343	3	7	13	3	2	8	379
2016	351	2	3	14	3	1	11	385
2017	421	5	6	16	8	1	16	473
2018	391	5	5	19	7	0	16	443
2019	400	5	3	20	6	0	17	451
2020	312	3	3	17	7	0	9	351
2021	296	3	4	13	5	0	9	330
2022	292	1	3	16	6	0	9	327
2023	298	1	0	19	4	0	13	335
2024	286	0	0	14	6	0	12	318

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 Staples-Motley Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	730	40.8	17.8	30.4
1989	602	38.5	15.6	41.7
1990	555	38.0	14.6	0.7
1991	892	49.9	17.8	33.3
1992	813	50.1	16.2	27.7
1993	827	45.8	18.1	26.8
1994	821	0.0	0.0	26.3
1995	594	38.3	15.5	29
1996	594	38.3	15.5	29
1997	628	33.7	18.6	28
1998	598	n/a	0.0	27.9
1999	593	37.7	15.7	24.8
2000	600	33.7	17.8	40.5
2001	584	34.6	16.9	39.9
2002	532	32.6	16.3	38.9
2003	532	32.6	16.3	38.9
2004	507	33.9	15.0	42.2
2005	491	27.0	18.2	40.3
2006	466	28.0	16.6	45.5
2007	489	25.3	19.3	49.1
2008	515	23.3	22.1	47.2
2009	532	24.3	21.9	51.7
2010	470	23.1	20.3	53.4
2011	467	24.7	18.8	50.7
2012	433	22.6	19.1	52
2013	379	21.2	17.8	50.7
2014	391	23.1	16.8	50.6
2015	379	25.0	15.1	49.1
2016	385	25.0	15.4	49.1
2017	473	31.8	14.8	47.4
2018	443	30.2	14.6	45.1
2019	451	26.5	17.0	45.2
2020	351	24.5	14.3	32.5
2021	330	24.4	13.4	29.4
2022	327	19.4	16.8	23.9
2023	335	18.6	17.9	36.1
2024	318	19.8	16.0	38.7

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 Staples-Motley Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	730	40.8	17.8	30.4
1989	602	38.5	15.6	41.7
1990	555	38.0	14.6	0.7
1991	892	49.9	17.8	33.3
1992	813	50.1	16.2	27.7
1993	827	45.8	18.1	26.8
1994	821	0.0	0.0	26.3
1995	594	38.3	15.5	29
1996	594	38.3	15.5	29
1997	628	33.7	18.6	28
1998	598	n/a	0.0	27.9
1999	593	37.7	15.7	24.8
2000	600	33.7	17.8	40.5
2001	584	34.6	16.9	39.9
2002	532	32.6	16.3	38.9
2003	532	32.6	16.3	38.9
2004	507	33.9	15.0	42.2
2005	491	27.0	18.2	40.3
2006	466	28.0	16.6	45.5
2007	489	25.3	19.3	49.1
2008	515	23.3	22.1	47.2
2009	532	24.3	21.9	51.7
2010	470	23.1	20.3	53.4
2011	467	24.7	18.8	50.7
2012	433	22.6	19.1	52
2013	379	21.2	17.8	50.7
2014	391	23.1	16.8	50.6
2015	379	25.0	15.1	49.1
2016	385	25.0	15.4	49.1
2017	473	31.8	14.8	47.4
2018	443	30.2	14.6	45.1
2019	451	26.5	17.0	45.2
2020	351	24.5	14.3	32.5
2021	330	24.4	13.4	29.4
2022	327	19.4	16.8	23.9
2023	335	18.6	17.9	36.1
2024	318	19.8	16.0	38.7

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 Staples-Motley Senior High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$13,668

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Staples-Motley Senior 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 235^th of 492 High schools	Ranks 185^th of 476 High schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Reading (Staples-Motley Senior High)	59.8	39.7	20%
10th Grade Reading (Staples-Motley School District)	59.8	39.7	20%
10th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	60.4	51.7	8.7%
11th Grade Math (Staples-Motley Senior High)	34.8	41.4	6.7%
11th Grade Math (Staples-Motley School District)	34.8	41.4	6.7%
11th Grade Math (Minnesota)	45	36	9%
End of Course Science (Staples-Motley Senior High)	53.9	46	7.9%
End of Course Science (Staples-Motley School District)	53.9	46	7.9%
End of Course Science (Minnesota)	54.4	41.8	12.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	451	335	25.7%
African American	5	1	80%
American Indian	6	4	33.3%
Asian	3	0	100%
Hispanic	20	19	5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	400	298	25.5%
Two or More Races	17	13	23.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.2%	36.1%	9.1%

Schools Near Staples-Motley Senior 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science End of Course	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Staples-Motley Senior High	Public	9-12	401 Centennial Dr	Staples	56479	Wadena County	Staples-Motley School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 894-2431	318	20	16.0	38.7%	286 (89.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	66.4	168^th of 480 public high schools	65.0%		61.7	185^th of 476 public high schools	61.1%	17			35.3	35.3			47.8	47.8		50.0	50.0	$13,669
Verndale Secondary	Public	7-12	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 445-5184	247	17	14.2	52.2%	224 (90.7%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.8%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.5%)	47	276^th of 480 public high schools	42.5%		27.1	375^th of 476 public high schools	21.2%	99	2.6	15.0	25.0	13.2	32.4	36.1	50.0	37.9	10.5	30.0	17.2	$10,617
Bertha Secondary	Public	7-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	226	12	18.1	57.1%	210 (92.9%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.9%)	48.1	271^st of 480 public high schools	43.5%		55.1	225^th of 476 public high schools	52.7%	46	25.6	32.3	26.5	27.9	38.5	45.2	50.0	44.2	34.5	30.3	32.3	$13,767
Central Lakes Adventure School	Public, Charter	7-12	12763 County Rd 1	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Central Lakes Adventure School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 746-3875	40	3	13.2	72.5%	32 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.0%)	1 (2.5%)	1 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.0%)	11.3	429^th of 480 public high schools	10.6%					(n/a)			0.0	0.0				10.0		18.2	13.3	$16,007
Pillager Senior High School	Public	9-12	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 746-2117	364	22	16.2	36.5%	339 (93.1%)	4 (1.1%)	10 (2.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	56.3	227^th of 480 public high schools	52.7%		81.6	68^th of 476 public high schools	85.7%	159			29.3	29.3			50.6	50.6		38.2	38.2	$12,067
Freshwater Education District Alternative Learning Center	Public	6-12	2222 Industrial Drive	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	No	No	No	(218) 631-3505	82	11	7.1	70.7%	68 (82.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.7%)	11.3	430^th of 480 public high schools	10.4%		5.8	455^th of 476 public high schools	4.4%	25			0.0	0.0			28.6	27.6		16.0	15.4
White Pine Academy	Public	5-12	2222 Industrial Drive	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	No	No	No	(218) 631-3505	12	1	8.7	75.0%	11 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High	Public	7-12	600 Colfax Ave SW	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Wadena-Deer Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 632-2300	480	22	22.3	48.1%	410 (85.4%)	8 (1.7%)	22 (4.6%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.9%)	68.4	151^st of 480 public high schools	68.5%		70.3	124^th of 476 public high schools	73.9%	27	23.9	44.6	23.4	30.6	38.2	44.1	54.4	45.6	31.3	64.6	47.7	$12,843
Browerville Secondary	Public	7-12	620 Park Ave N	Browerville	56438	Todd County	Browerville Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 594-2272	266	44	6.1	48.9%	234 (88.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.9%)	53	243^rd of 480 public high schools	49.4%		49.4	256^th of 476 public high schools	46.2%	13	40.9	28.6	31.3	33.6	43.2	32.6	41.3	39.1	14.3	41.3	28.4	$13,266

Staples-Motley Senior High

Staples-Motley Senior High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Staples-Motley School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for all high school students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for high school Female students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for high school Male students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Rank History for high school White students at Staples-Motley Senior High

Enrollment information for Staples-Motley Senior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Staples-Motley Senior High

Student/Teacher Ratio Staples-Motley Senior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Staples-Motley Senior High

Impact of COVID-19 on Staples-Motley Senior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Staples-Motley Senior High