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Richlands Middle

Q: Is Richlands Middle a good school?

Richlands Middle ranks 134 th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

134^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 68% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Richlands Middle serves 447 students in grades 6–8 in Richlands, Virginia, and is part of Tazewell County Public Schools, a district ranked in the top 20% of Virginia districts. The school stands out as a high-poverty school — about 88% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — that still produces above-average results in math and science. Its 8th-grade math proficiency rate of 71% is dramatically higher than the state average of 46.9%, and every 8th-grade student taking Algebra I has passed the SOL exam for three consecutive years. The school also does exceptionally well for its economically disadvantaged students, ranking in the 82nd percentile statewide for that subgroup.

Compared with nearby schools, Richlands Middle's strengths are somewhat the mirror image of Tazewell Middle's. Richlands is stronger in math and science, while Tazewell excels in reading and civics — Tazewell posted an 89% pass rate in 8th-grade reading and 87.9% in civics, compared to 83.7% and 74.8% at Richlands. The school also stands out for its efficiency: Richlands spends about $8,993 per student with a student-teacher ratio of 13.3, yet it ranks higher than Northwood Middle, which spends roughly 46% more per student and has a much lower ratio of 8.3. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from 55.8% in 2021-22 to 21.4% in 2024-25.

That said, Richlands Middle has room for improvement. Reading scores are uneven — 7th-grade reading lags the state — and 8th-grade civics is well below the district average. The school's overall state ranking has slipped from 78th in 2023-24 to 134th in 2025-26, with declining outcomes for female and disabled students even as economically disadvantaged students remain strong. For parents, this is a school that clearly excels at math and science and serves its highest-need students well, but one where literacy, social studies, and support for certain groups are worth watching.

447

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,993

Per pupil spending ?

88.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

185 Learning Lane
Richlands, VA 24614-3096

(276) 963-5370

District: Tazewell County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.6%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Richlands Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 65th percentile in 2016 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (74% vs 68% meeting standards)

✓Above the Virginia median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg78%

Virginia avg68%

134^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 32%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the Tazewell County Public Schools

19^th of 131Tazewell County Public Schools among Virginia 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	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.7	134 of 416	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.8	133 of 419	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.2	78 of 417	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	76.5	87 of 422	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	75 of 415	81.9%	★★★★☆
2021	59.0	137 of 419	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.0	104 of 424	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	72.1	75 of 413	81.8%	★★★★☆
2017	61.2	124 of 415	70.1%	★★★★☆
2016	58.9	143 of 409	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.9	158 of 412	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.6	215 of 416	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.4	302 of 416	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	44.7	247 of 413	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.3	253 of 413	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.3	242 of 408	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.2	177 of 390	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.7	138 of 391	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	42.6	250 of 387	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	27.7	327 of 383	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	31.5	293 of 340	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.0	148 of 292	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.9	71 of 281	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.5	65 of 278	76.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.0	135 of 409	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.0	133 of 403	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.8	54 of 407	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	57 of 411	86.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	74.1	72 of 401	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	84 of 403	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	34 of 402	91.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.3	123 of 410	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	65.7	128 of 404	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.0	91 of 407	77.6%	★★★★☆
2023	71.1	110 of 409	73.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	241 of 400	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.1	249 of 400	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.2	156 of 396	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.7	159 of 402	60.4%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)82nd percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)70th percentile~ school

Female (2026)67th percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)49th percentile-18 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I100%+7 vs state

English Reading77%+4 vs state

Civics and Economics75%~ state avg

Science74%+10 vs state

Mathematics68%+13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Richlands Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Algebra I (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Geography (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (2026)		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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Richlands Middle	Public	6-8	185 Learning Lane	Richlands	24614	Buchanan County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 963-5370	447	34	13.3	88.1%	432 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	65.7	134^th of 416 public middle schools	67.8%		66.8	133^rd of 419 public middle schools	68.3%	1	100.0	66.2	69.2	71.0	74.3	77.5	69.8	83.7			74.8	$8,993	$741	$8,252
Northwood Middle	Public	6-8	156 Long Hollow Rd	Saltville	24370	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 624-3341	158	19	8.3	99.4%	152 (96.2%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	55.8	194^th of 416 public middle schools	53.4%		63.8	151^st of 419 public middle schools	64.0%	43	100.0	83.7		45.7	53.7	81.3	88.4	67.2	63.1	93.0		$13,124	$719	$12,404
Tazewell Middle	Public	6-8	367 Hope Street	Tazewell	24651	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 988-6513	377	29	12.8	89.1%	337 (89.4%)	17 (4.5%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	68.6	112^th of 416 public middle schools	73.1%		71.8	108^th of 419 public middle schools	74.2%	4	100.0	64.6	53.7	67.7	70.1	78.1	75.9	89.0			87.9	$9,494	$833	$8,661

Frequently Asked Questions about Richlands Middle

What district is Richlands Middle in?

Tazewell County Public Schools

Is Richlands Middle a good school?

Richlands Middle ranks 134^th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Richlands Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 447 students attended Richlands Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Richlands Middle?

Students at Richlands Middle are 97% White, 3% Two or more races.

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VAVirginia Middle School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Richlands, VA

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

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.