Summary:
The West Valley School District (Yakima) operates two middle schools for grades 7-8: the traditional West Valley Mid-Level Campus and the much smaller, online West Valley Virtual Academy 7-8, together serving about 1,200 students in the Yakima area.
The West Valley Mid-Level Campus is the district's primary middle school and shows notable academic strengths, particularly in mathematics where its 8th graders perform significantly above the state average. While its English scores are solid, science proficiency is an area for potential improvement. The school serves a population with a high rate of economic need and has maintained a stable, above-average statewide ranking over recent years. In contrast, the West Valley Virtual Academy 7-8 is a very small program with only 21 students; its test scores are not publicly reported, and it operates at less than half the per-student cost of the traditional campus.
For parents, the key comparison is between a large, established traditional school with a track record of steady performance and a very small virtual alternative. The traditional campus demonstrates effective math instruction that improves through the grades, though performance varies by subject. The virtual academy offers a different learning model but lacks comparable performance data due to its size. Both schools serve student populations with significant economic needs, and the district as a whole is ranked in the top quartile statewide.
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