Summary:
Walla Walla Public Schools has two middle schools serving grades 6–8 in the Walla Walla area: Pioneer Middle School and Garrison Middle School, with a combined enrollment of 1,147 students. The schools are similar in size and have comparable free- and reduced-price lunch rates, making them useful options for families comparing middle-school programs within the same district.
Garrison Middle School is the stronger overall performer in the current data. It ranks 246th of 514 Washington middle schools, compared with 343rd for Pioneer Middle School, and has a three-star rating versus two stars. Garrison’s proficiency rates are higher in English language arts, math, and science, with especially notable advantages in sixth- and seventh-grade math. Its science result of 51.09% is slightly above the statewide rate, while its math and science results also exceed district averages. Garrison also has a lower student-teacher ratio and higher spending per student, although the available information cannot show whether those differences caused its stronger results.
Pioneer Middle School has several positive signs despite lower overall achievement. Its math and science results improved from the prior year, including a nearly 10-point gain in science, and its eighth-grade math score was slightly higher than Garrison’s. Pioneer students also posted stronger results in ELA and math by eighth grade than in sixth grade, suggesting progress during middle school. The main concern is ELA, which declined by 6.62 percentage points year over year and remains below district and state results. Overall, Garrison appears to be the stronger choice based on current performance, while Pioneer’s recent science growth and improving upper-grade results are encouraging areas to watch.
Thank you for your feedback!