Best Public Schools in Bethel, VT

Summary:

The city of Bethel, Vermont is home to two schools: Bethel Elementary School and White River Valley Middle School, both part of the White River Unified School District #79. While the middle school maintains average performance, Bethel Elementary stands out as an exceptional institution, consistently ranking among the top elementary schools in Vermont.

Bethel Elementary School has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and has reached as high as 7th out of 133 elementary schools in the state. Its 5th-grade science proficiency rate of 70.37% is significantly higher than the statewide average of 44.2%. In contrast, White River Valley Middle School has a more typical performance, ranking between 23rd and 46th out of Vermont middle schools in recent years and maintaining a 3-star rating.

The data also reveals differences in key metrics between the two schools. Bethel Elementary has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 12.2% compared to White River Valley Middle's 26.1%. Additionally, Bethel Elementary spends significantly more per student ($19,497) than the middle school ($16,317), raising questions about the district's approach to funding and resource allocation across its schools.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				VTCAP English Language Arts (2025)	VTCAP Mathematics (2025)	VTCAP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	VTCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	VTCAP Science 5th Grade	VTCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bethel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	273 Pleasant Street	Bethel	05032	Windsor County	White River Unified School District #79	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 234-6607	124	12	10.5	57.3%	120 (96.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			70.4		$19,497	$00	$19,497
White River Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	273 Pleasant Street	Bethel	05032	Windsor County	White River Unified School District #79	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 234-9966	133	13	10.4	62.4%	129 (97.0%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	36.6	44^th of 74 public middle schools	40.5%		46.8	46^th of 85 public middle schools	45.9%	2	47.4	34.2		41.0	$16,317	$00	$16,317

Cities Near Bethel

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Stockbridge	4.41 mi	2
Barnard	6.07 mi	2
South Royalton	6.98 mi	3	45^th
Randolph	8.36 mi	6	65^th
Rochester	8.69 mi	2	105^th

See the top VT Vermont cities

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