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First Branch Middle School

Public Grades 5-8

Summary

First Branch Middle School is a public middle school located in Chelsea, Vermont, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 92 students. The school is part of the First Branch Unified School District #82, which is ranked 29 out of 72 districts in Vermont and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

First Branch Middle School has shown strong academic performance, ranking 22nd out of 85 Vermont middle schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance in VTCAP (Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program) tests is noteworthy, with 7th-grade students outperforming the state average in both English Language Arts (65.38% vs. 57%) and Mathematics (76.92% vs. 43%) in 2023-2024. Additionally, in the 2022-2023 school year, 6th-grade students at First Branch Middle School achieved a remarkable 95.65% proficiency rate in Mathematics, significantly higher than the state average of 52.7%. The school also has a very low student-teacher ratio, with 6.7 students per teacher in the 2023-2024 school year, indicating a high level of individualized attention and support for students.

Compared to the nearby White River Valley Middle School and Orange Center School, First Branch Middle School appears to have stronger academic performance, with higher proficiency rates in VTCAP tests and a higher overall ranking. However, the nearby schools have higher percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that they may serve communities with greater economic challenges.

Students ?

6.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,260

Per pupil spending ?

48.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6 School Street
Chelsea, VT 05038-9746

(802) 685-4551

District: First Branch Unified School District #82

Racial breakdown:

White:

98.9%

Hispanic:

1.1%

See top rated Vermont public schools

Compare First Branch Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 51st percentile in 2022 → 74th in 2024

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2022

✓Small classes — about 6 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

Vermont avg45%

Not ranked this year

First Branch Middle School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

49^th of 75First Branch Unified School District #82 among Vermont districts

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2021	46.6	83 of 148	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.2	62 of 138	55.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2021	44.0	86 of 147	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.7	79 of 146	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2024	65.8	22 of 85	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	63.4	13 of 50	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	47.4	33 of 68	51.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2025	69.6	22 of 91	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	65.3	25 of 92	72.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.2	23 of 88	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	44.0	49 of 91	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.1	47 of 87	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

White (2021)41st percentile~ school

Middle school

White (2025)76th percentile

By subject vs Vermont (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts53%~ state avg

Mathematics37%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near First Branch Middle School

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 5th Grade	VTCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	VTCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	VTCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	VTCAP Science 5th Grade	VTCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
First Branch Middle School	Public	5-8	6 School Street	Chelsea	05038	Orange County	First Branch Unified School District #82	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 685-4551	89	14	6.5	48.3%	88 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	52.6				36.8						$17,260	$00	$17,260
Orange Center School	Public	5-8	357 U.S. Route 302	East Barre	05649	Orange County	Echo Valley Community Union School District #67	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 476-3278	80	6	13.5	57.5%	75 (93.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.8%)	31.2	54^th of 74 public middle schools	27.0%		19.9	72^nd of 85 public middle schools	15.3%	18	38.9	56.3	47.6	59.1	33.3	31.3	42.9	9.1	27.8	4.6	$11,874	$00	$11,874
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

Frequently Asked Questions about First Branch Middle School

How many students attend First Branch Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 89 students attended First Branch Middle School.

What district is First Branch Middle School in?

First Branch Unified School District #82

What is the racial makeup of First Branch Middle School?

Students at First Branch Middle School are 99% White, 1% Hispanic.

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Schools in Chelsea, VT

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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.