Cook County Middle

Cook County Middle is one of the minimally staffed middle schools in GRAND MARAIS, Minnesota, operated by Cook County Public Schools, with 95 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 495 students per school, that is 81% leaner than typical.

Cook County Public Schools comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 475 students; Cook County Middle is among them.

Looking at the student body, Cook County Middle shows that 66% of the student body identifies as White; the rest consists of 14% multiracial, 13% Native American, 7% Hispanic. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 84% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Cook County Middle has 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.4:1. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 44% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

With demographic context factored in, Cook County Middle is in the bottom 10% of Minnesota public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 41.3%; Cook County Middle posts 28.8%, -12.5 points below that line.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Cook County) records that the typical household earns roughly $72,638 per year, about 47% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Cook County Middle is one of 9 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 652 students).

Nearest neighbor: Cook County Senior High, around 0.0 miles off. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Among the 4 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Cook County Middle ranks 4th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 44.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Cook County Middle has ticked down 4%, going from 99 students in 2018 to 95 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 72% to 66% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 11.4:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Cook County Middle community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.