Is Carl Ben Eielson Middle School a good school?

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School ranks in the bottom 16.7% of North Dakota middle schools.

How many students attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 639 students attended Carl Ben Eielson Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

Students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School are 58% White, 18% African American, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 3% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Carl Ben Eielson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School usually go on to attend South High School

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Summary:

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School is a public middle school in Fargo, North Dakota, serving 615 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Fargo 1 School District, which is ranked 10th out of 20 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Carl Ben Eielson Middle School has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools like Discovery Middle School and Ben Franklin Middle School, it consistently underperforms in academic metrics. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 30% of Carl Ben Eielson students were proficient or better in NDSA Mathematics, compared to 42% for the Fargo 1 district and 41% for the state. The school also has higher dropout rates (5% in 2022-2023) and chronic absenteeism rates (36% in 2022-2023) than its neighbors. Additionally, 40.98% of Carl Ben Eielson students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The school's performance has been declining over the years, as evidenced by its decreasing statewide ranking and star rating from SchoolDigger. In the 2023-2024 school year, Carl Ben Eielson Middle School ranked 20th out of 24 North Dakota middle schools and received a 1-star rating, down from a 3-star rating in the 2017-2018 school year. The nearby schools, such as Discovery Middle School and Ben Franklin Middle School, as well as schools in the West Fargo 6 district, generally outperform Carl Ben Eielson Middle School in academic metrics, dropout rates, and chronic absenteeism.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1601 13th Ave S
Fargo, ND 58103

(701) 446-1700

District: Fargo 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
20^th of 24 North Dakota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,255

Students who attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School usually attend:

High:

South High School

Feeder schools for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School:

Elementary:

Lincoln Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.8

Number of students: 639

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.4%

African American:

17.7%

Hispanic:

10.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.3%

See top rated North Dakota middle schools

Compare Carl Ben Eielson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Carl Ben Eielson Middle School ranks worse than 83.3% of middle schools in North Dakota. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the Fargo 1 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.83. (See more...)

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

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Carl Ben Eielson Middle School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Fargo 1 School District. Racial makeup is: White (58.4%), African American (17.7%), Hispanic (10.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Fargo 1 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School is 10.8, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Fargo 1 School District! (See more...)

Compare Carl Ben Eielson Middle School employs 58.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School is $15,255, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Fargo 1 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Carl Ben Eielson Middle School 20^th of 24 North Dakota public middle schools. (See Carl Ben Eielson Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Fargo 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Fargo 1 10^th of 20 North Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School.

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Your rating for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

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Rank History for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2012	30.14	111^th	124	10.5%
2013	31.78	115^th	135	14.8%
2014	36.40	105^th	136	22.8%
2015	49.34	56^th	109	48.6%
2016	56.05	51^st	116	56.0%
2017	44.16	18^th	32	43.8%
2018	40.90	10^th	21	52.4%
2019	26.74	20^th	23	13.0%
2021	27.99	18^th	24	25.0%
2022	24.56	23^rd	28	17.9%
2023	36.58	17^th	27	37.0%
2024	24.83	20^th	24	16.7%

See the entire list of North Dakota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	59.42	6^th	13	53.8%
2019	26.92	9^th	12	25.0%
2021	18.19	5^th	6	16.7%
2023	32.72	8^th	12	33.3%
2024	25.36	10^th	11	9.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	46.49	11^th	17	35.3%
2019	21.18	15^th	17	11.8%
2021	13.78	16^th	17	5.9%
2022	21.58	17^th	19	10.5%
2023	45.57	13^th	20	35.0%
2024	16.85	18^th	19	5.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	60.85	7^th	17	58.8%
2019	37.99	14^th	18	22.2%
2021	20.57	13^th	18	27.8%
2022	36.64	13^th	20	35.0%
2023	35.62	14^th	20	30.0%
2024	23.23	17^th	19	10.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	75.16	4^th	18	77.8%
2019	40.43	14^th	21	33.3%
2021	28.51	17^th	22	22.7%
2022	35.15	17^th	25	32.0%
2023	40.17	14^th	25	44.0%
2024	28.72	19^th	23	17.4%

See the entire list of Best North Dakota Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, 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: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, April 16, 2018

As a student at Carl Ben Eielson,I would like to state that my experience here is generally positive. The reason I have given the school 2 stars is because of the unbearably high stress levels in various students. I have complaints about a couple of the staff members though. The trumpet teacher has given me a hard time considering how hard it is to play my instrument, There were often times where I broke down because of the overall stress levels. Our math teacher is very nice most of the time but sometimes,class sessions get really harsh. There are often times where she says that we are the worst team,that we are her least favorite class,and that some students will never amount to anything. I,along with many of my peers have suffered mental chaos because we worry so much that what she says is true and that math will ruin our lives because we failed it. Recently,She failed nearly every student,Including me,we may have deserved it but it is still really harsh. I can't really talk to the counselors because I don't trust them. There was one specific case where I mentioned a friend of mine who used to cut in a test-like thing and I was called to the counselor's office. I was asked about my friend and I replied that she used to cut but she was already getting counseling and that she completely stopped. Later that day,my friend was pulled out of class to the counselor's office to discuss the cutting and my mother got a call from her mother telling her about it. Not to mention the fact that the counselor specifically said she wouldn't tell somebody something that you didn't want them to. I believe that day that the counselor violated not only my rights,but my friend's as well,that,I could never forgive nor forget. To improve the school,I suggest making staff evaluations to make sure that you have the best staff possible.Thank you for your consideration. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	720	29	17	19	19	n/a	n/a	804
2008	665	39	16	18	24	n/a	n/a	762
2009	652	54	19	16	25	n/a	n/a	766
2010	679	66	20	19	24	n/a	n/a	808
2011	641	76	30	1	27	1	31	807
2012	627	88	30	28	31	0	2	806
2013	571	79	38	40	35	2	3	768
2014	579	89	46	34	34	2	9	793
2015	566	93	59	47	35	6	9	815
2016	530	105	62	46	25	3	10	781
2017	509	113	53	47	27	3	16	768
2018	498	116	55	43	26	3	17	758
2019	503	115	42	50	31	2	18	761
2020	501	98	41	55	35	3	38	771
2021	468	91	41	58	31	2	41	732
2022	389	86	28	59	31	3	37	633
2023	388	98	24	51	20	1	33	615
2024	373	113	22	67	23	1	40	639

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 Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	804	63.5	12.7	33
2008	762	59.3	12.8	29.1
2009	766	57.8	13.3	30.2
2010	808	57.8	13.9	37.1
2011	807	57.8	13.9	39.8
2012	806	57.8	13.9	44.3
2013	768	57.8	13.2	46.2
2014	793	57.8	13.7	43.4
2015	815	58.0	14.0	39.4
2016	781	58.0	13.4	38.3
2017	768	57.8	13.2	41.9
2018	758	56.8	13.3	42
2019	761	55.8	13.6	41.4
2020	771	56.8	13.5	43.3
2021	732	54.8	13.3	37.2
2022	633	56.7	11.1	32.2
2023	615	57.2	10.7	41
2024	639	58.8	10.8	42.3

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 Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	804	63.5	12.7	33
2008	762	59.3	12.8	29.1
2009	766	57.8	13.3	30.2
2010	808	57.8	13.9	37.1
2011	807	57.8	13.9	39.8
2012	806	57.8	13.9	44.3
2013	768	57.8	13.2	46.2
2014	793	57.8	13.7	43.4
2015	815	58.0	14.0	39.4
2016	781	58.0	13.4	38.3
2017	768	57.8	13.2	41.9
2018	758	56.8	13.3	42
2019	761	55.8	13.6	41.4
2020	771	56.8	13.5	43.3
2021	732	54.8	13.3	37.2
2022	633	56.7	11.1	32.2
2023	615	57.2	10.7	41
2024	639	58.8	10.8	42.3

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 Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$754 (5.9%)	$12,043 (94.1%)	$12,797
2020	$868 (6.8%)	$11,948 (93.2%)	$12,816
2021	$1,579 (11.3%)	$12,427 (88.7%)	$14,006
2022	$1,833 (12.0%)	$13,422 (88.0%)	$15,255

Data source: North Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

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 20^th of 23 Middle schools	Ranks 17^th of 27 Middle schools	24%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	34	40	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Fargo 1)	44	40	4%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	47	41	6%
6th Grade Reading (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	43	44	1%
6th Grade Reading (Fargo 1)	54	51	3%
6th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	49	50	1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	48	31	17%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fargo 1)	60	38	22%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	47	34	13%
8th Grade Reading (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	56	38	18%
8th Grade Reading (Fargo 1)	61	50	11%
8th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	51	44	7%
8th Grade Science (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	57	37	20%
8th Grade Science (Fargo 1)	64	49	15%
8th Grade Science (North Dakota)	63	48	15%
All Grades Mathematics (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	35	37	2%
All Grades Mathematics (Fargo 1)	50	41	9%
All Grades Mathematics (North Dakota)	45	39	6%
All Grades Reading (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	49	43	6%
All Grades Reading (Fargo 1)	52	45	7%
All Grades Reading (North Dakota)	47	44	3%
All Grades Science (Carl Ben Eielson Middle School)	57	37	20%
All Grades Science (Fargo 1)	63	49	14%
All Grades Science (North Dakota)	62	44	18%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	761	615	19.2%
African American	115	98	14.8%
American Indian	31	20	35.5%
Asian	42	24	42.9%
Hispanic	50	51	2%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	503	388	22.9%
Two or More Races	18	33	83.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41.4%	41%	0.4%

Schools Near Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NDSA Mathematics (2024)				NDSA Reading (2024)				NDSA Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	NDSA Mathematics 6th Grade	NDSA Mathematics 7th Grade	NDSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NDSA Mathematics All Grades	NDSA Reading 6th Grade	NDSA Reading 7th Grade	NDSA Reading 8th Grade	NDSA Reading All Grades	NDSA Science 8th Grade	NDSA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carl Ben Eielson Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 13th Ave S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-1700	639	59	10.8	42.3%	373 (58.4%)	113 (17.7%)	67 (10.5%)	22 (3.4%)	23 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.3%)	24.8	20^th of 24 public middle schools	16.7%		36.6	17^th of 27 public middle schools	37.0%	3		37.0		30.0				42.0			$15,255	$1,833	$13,422
Ben Franklin Middle School	Public	6-8	1420 8th St N	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-3600	899	72	12.4	30.9%	663 (73.7%)	68 (7.6%)	69 (7.7%)	25 (2.8%)	23 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.7%)	62.8	7^th of 24 public middle schools	70.8%		56.5	11^th of 27 public middle schools	59.3%	4	44.0	45.0	43.0	45.0	53.0	43.0	52.0	49.0	51.0	51.0	$14,221	$1,816	$12,406
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	1717 40th Ave S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-3300	1,005	77	13.0	26.6%	644 (64.1%)	194 (19.3%)	57 (5.7%)	43 (4.3%)	19 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (4.7%)	78.8	3^rd of 24 public middle schools	87.5%		76.5	5^th of 27 public middle schools	81.5%	2	43.0	51.0	53.0	48.0	49.0	55.0	64.0	56.0	55.0	55.0	$13,686	$1,539	$12,147
Cheney Middle School	Public	6-8	825 17th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2090	979	86	11.3	41.9%	636 (65.0%)	175 (17.9%)	50 (5.1%)	30 (3.1%)	38 (3.9%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (4.9%)	40.5	16^th of 24 public middle schools	33.3%		39	16^th of 27 public middle schools	40.7%		45.0	41.0	36.0	41.0	46.0	47.0	42.0	44.0	40.0	40.0	$13,364	$1,243	$12,121
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	801 36th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2671	1,070	106	10.1	22.4%	730 (68.2%)	178 (16.6%)	58 (5.4%)	42 (3.9%)	20 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.9%)	55.1	12^th of 24 public middle schools	50.0%		18.2	22^nd of 27 public middle schools	18.5%	10	45.0	46.0	34.0	42.0	47.0	49.0	48.0	48.0	50.0	50.0	$11,885	$849	$11,037
West Fargo Middle Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-8	207 Main Ave W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 356-2001	9				2 (22.2%)	4 (44.4%)	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)								(n/a)											$6,522	$2,362	$4,160
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	6350 76th Ave S	Horace	58047	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-5910	754	55	13.6	12.2%	642 (85.1%)	42 (5.6%)	19 (2.5%)	11 (1.5%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	32 (4.2%)	46.6	13^th of 24 public middle schools	45.8%		24.3	19^th of 27 public middle schools	29.6%	6	49.0	43.0	38.0	43.0	46.0	33.0	41.0	40.0	51.0	51.0	$10,488	$855	$9,634
Central Cass Middle School	Public	5-8	802 5th St N	Casselton	58012	Cass County	Central Cass 17	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 347-5352	338	19	17.6	12.7%	322 (95.3%)	4 (1.2%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	78.1	5^th of 24 public middle schools	79.2%		88	2^nd of 27 public middle schools	92.6%	3				48.0				64.0			$10,594	$606	$9,989

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Fargo 1:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Rank History for all students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Rank History for White students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Carl Ben Eielson Middle School