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Dayton Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

458^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 534 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 14% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Dayton Middle School is a public school serving about 93 students in grades 6 through 8 in the rural community of Dayton, Washington, as part of the Dayton School District.

Recent academic performance at the school has seen a significant decline, with its statewide ranking dropping sharply in the 2024-2025 school year to the 14th percentile; current proficiency rates in English, Math, and Science are all below the state average. This recent downturn is notable because the school had shown periods of moderate success in prior years, including historically strong performance for students from lower-income families. Interestingly, Science remains a relative strength, with proficiency rates notably higher than at nearby Preston Hall Middle School.

When compared to other area middle schools like Prescott Middle School and Preston Hall, all three face similar challenges, ranking in the bottom 30% of Washington schools. Dayton operates with a lower per-student spending than Prescott but a higher student-teacher ratio, suggesting different approaches to resource allocation. The school's performance has been more volatile year-to-year than its neighbors, and the reasons behind its recent sharp drop—whether due to changes in teaching, curriculum, or student population—would be important for parents to understand.

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,932

Per pupil spending ?

49.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

614 S 3rd St
Dayton, WA 99328-1562

(509) 382-4775

District: Dayton School District

Students who attend Dayton Middle School usually attend:

High:

Dayton High School

Feeder schools for Dayton Middle School:

Elementary:

Dayton Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.1%

Hispanic:

17.2%

African American:

4.3%

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Compare Dayton Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 30th percentile in 2015 → 14th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (29% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg40%

Washington avg48%

458^th of 534

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 30% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

161^st of 247Dayton School District among Washington districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	17.4	458 of 534	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.1	240 of 535	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.4	176 of 539	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.2	331 of 541	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.6	210 of 529	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.5	115 of 512	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	150 of 437	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	43.1	247 of 435	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	42.6	253 of 443	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.1	310 of 445	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.5	261 of 483	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	50.5	238 of 476	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.0	158 of 466	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	68.9	116 of 463	74.9%	★★★★☆
2006	41.1	279 of 449	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	49.4	232 of 425	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	50.7	219 of 421	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	16.6	408 of 471	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	60.1	166 of 464	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.4	153 of 479	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	175 of 469	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.7	75 of 452	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	105 of 376	72.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2023	64.9	121 of 463	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	48.1	212 of 475	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	82.7	36 of 458	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	56.5	166 of 448	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	180 of 349	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	28.6	343 of 472	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.7	252 of 466	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	71.9	114 of 470	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	35.4	303 of 480	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.9	210 of 476	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	170 of 453	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.7	177 of 371	52.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	438 of 488	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	343 of 486	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.8	228 of 488	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	25.3	390 of 488	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.4	233 of 480	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.9	154 of 470	67.2%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)74th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)13th percentile~ school

White (2025)10th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science38%-12 vs state

English Language Arts30%-23 vs state

Math20%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dayton Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)				SBAC Math (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dayton Middle School	Public	6-8	614 S 3rd St	Dayton	99328	Columbia County	Dayton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 382-4775	93	5	18.1	49.5%	68 (73.1%)	4 (4.3%)	16 (17.2%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	17.4	458^th of 534 public middle schools	14.2%		51.1	240^th of 535 public middle schools	55.1%	218	37.5	37.5	32.3	19.1	37.5	30.3	22.6	14.3	20.8	19.7	$18,932	$839	$18,093
Preston Hall Middle School	Public	6-8	605 Main Street	Waitsburg	99361	Walla Walla County	Waitsburg School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 337-9474	74	5	14.7	50.0%	61 (82.4%)	1 (1.4%)	9 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.1%)	24.8	415^th of 534 public middle schools	22.3%		11.8	492^nd of 535 public middle schools	8.0%	77	17.4	17.4	52.2	40.0	21.7	37.9	26.1	25.0	30.4	27.3	$19,172	$1,341	$17,832
Prescott Middle School	Public	6-8	207 S. A Street	Prescott	99348	Walla Walla County	Prescott School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 849-2217	38	4	9.7	65.8%	11 (28.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (65.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)				25.0		18.8		15.0		12.5	$27,857	$684	$27,173

Frequently Asked Questions about Dayton Middle School

Is Dayton Middle School a good school?

Dayton Middle School ranks in the bottom 14.2% of Washington middle schools.

How many students attend Dayton Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 93 students attended Dayton Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Dayton Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dayton Middle School usually go on to attend Dayton High School

What is the racial makeup of Dayton Middle School?

Students at Dayton Middle School are 73% White, 17% Hispanic, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Dayton Middle School in?

Dayton School District

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Schools in Dayton, WA

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.