La Grande Middle School

La Grande Middle School is a public school serving about 480 students in grades 6–8 in La Grande, a rural eastern Oregon community where, according to the available data, there are no other schools within 20 miles. It is part of La Grande School District 1, which ranks 70th of 141 Oregon districts.

At the school level, La Grande Middle School currently ranks 204th of 371 Oregon middle schools for 2025–2026, placing it in the 45th percentile with 2 stars. That is near the state median but below its district’s 3-star level, and it is a decline from the school’s stronger 2022–2023 showing at the 65th percentile. English language arts is a relative strength: all-grade proficiency was 42.5%, essentially even with the state’s 43.8% and slightly above the district’s 41.9%. Math is weaker, with 26.5% proficiency versus 30.5% in the district and 32.9% statewide. Science is also below benchmark at 22.8%, compared with 28.3% in the district and 30.6% statewide; 8th-grade math was the weakest grade-level result. Chronic absenteeism has improved to 29.0%, now better than the district’s 31.0% and the state’s 33.5%.

Because there are no nearby schools within 20 miles, the most meaningful comparisons are with the district and state. The school serves a high-poverty population—63.75% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025—and low-income students ranked above median at the 54th percentile in 2025, a positive sign. However, special education results are a serious concern: that subgroup fell to the 6th percentile with 0 stars in 2025, after being around the low 40s in 2023 and 2024. Per-student spending is about $17,014, while the student-teacher ratio rose to 18.5. For parents, the takeaway is a school with solid reading results, improving attendance, and clear opportunities for growth in math, science, and special education support.