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Desert Hills Middle School

Q: Is Desert Hills Middle School a good school?

Desert Hills Middle School ranks 117 th of 534 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

117^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 534 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 78% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Desert Hills Middle School is a high-performing public school serving about 900 students in grades 6-8 within the Kennewick School District in Washington state.

Academically, Desert Hills stands out as the top middle school in its district, consistently earning a 4-star rating and outperforming both district and state averages in English, Math, and Science. The school shows remarkable stability and effectiveness, with strong results across different student groups. Interestingly, it achieves these high outcomes while spending less per student and having a higher student-teacher ratio than many neighboring schools, suggesting a very efficient use of resources.

When compared to other local schools, the difference is striking. Desert Hills significantly outperforms other Kennewick School District middle schools like Chinook Middle School, Horse Heaven Hills Middle School, Park Middle School, and Highlands Middle School. The regional benchmark for performance is Leona Libby Middle School in the higher-ranked Richland School District. Desert Hills serves as a consistent model of success within its own district context.

906

Students ?

22.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,592

Per pupil spending ?

24.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1701 S Clodfelter Rd
Kennewick, WA 99338-1400

(509) 222-6600

District: Kennewick School District

Students who attend Desert Hills Middle School usually attend:

High:

Kamiakin High School

Feeder schools for Desert Hills Middle School:

Elementary:	Amon Creek Elementary
	Cottonwood Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.3%

Hispanic:

16.3%

Two or more races:

6.1%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Desert Hills Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 68th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (55% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Washington middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg42%

Washington avg48%

117^th of 534

Washington public middle schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Middle Schools in the Kennewick School District

131^st of 247Kennewick School District among Washington 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	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	73.5	117 of 534	78.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.6	146 of 535	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.9	117 of 539	78.3%	★★★★☆
2022	68.8	142 of 541	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	71.5	131 of 529	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	69.4	134 of 512	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	69.6	119 of 437	72.8%	★★★★☆
2017	66.3	142 of 435	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.7	166 of 443	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.7	142 of 445	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.8	132 of 498	73.5%	★★★★☆
2012	74.9	90 of 497	81.9%	★★★★☆
2011	70.2	115 of 492	76.6%	★★★★☆
2010	75.7	87 of 483	82.0%	★★★★☆
2009	83.4	55 of 476	88.4%	★★★★☆
2008	82.2	59 of 466	87.3%	★★★★☆
2007	84.8	47 of 463	89.8%	★★★★★
2006	84.1	47 of 449	89.5%	★★★★☆
2005	80.7	63 of 425	85.2%	★★★★☆
2004	83.1	49 of 421	88.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	44.3	52 of 111	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	62.5	57 of 161	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	71.6	121 of 471	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	69.8	121 of 464	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.4	100 of 464	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	69.0	126 of 479	73.7%	★★★★☆
2021	69.9	118 of 469	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	71.8	110 of 452	75.7%	★★★★☆
2018	65.2	127 of 376	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	68.6	85 of 347	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	66.1	86 of 344	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	63.4	92 of 336	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	70.6	69 of 360	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	77.4	52 of 353	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	40.7	202 of 344	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.2	148 of 259	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	63.8	130 of 457	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	63.1	135 of 455	70.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	94 of 463	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	54.9	166 of 475	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.8	111 of 458	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	61.3	96 of 349	72.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	72.8	114 of 472	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	128 of 466	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	110 of 470	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	67.0	126 of 480	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	72.8	110 of 476	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	134 of 453	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	68.9	102 of 371	72.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	55.2	98 of 246	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.9	149 of 243	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.7	81 of 244	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.8	97 of 257	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.5	84 of 250	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.8	58 of 246	76.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	45 of 166	72.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	79 of 186	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.1	68 of 179	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.8	67 of 167	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.3	129 of 199	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.5	77 of 210	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.5	49 of 231	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	30.4	195 of 268	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	70.0	129 of 488	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.6	144 of 486	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	110 of 488	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	64.1	148 of 488	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.9	140 of 480	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	68.8	127 of 470	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.2	117 of 325	64.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2025)76th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)76th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)74th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)74th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)72nd percentile-7 vs school

Asian (2022)65th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)60th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2025)58th percentile-21 vs school

African American (2019)53rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts65%+12 vs state

Science51%~ state avg

Math49%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Hills Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)				SBAC Math (2025)				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 (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	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Desert Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1701 S Clodfelter Rd	Kennewick	99338	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 222-6600	906	40	22.4	24.6%	673 (74.3%)	11 (1.2%)	148 (16.3%)	17 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.1%)	73.5	117^th of 534 public middle schools	78.1%		68.6	146^th of 535 public middle schools	72.7%	29	51.1	51.1	60.4	71.7	62.3	64.8	49.3	45.9	51.5	49.0	$14,592	$1,989	$12,602
Chinook Middle School	Public	6-8	6011 W 10th Place	Kennewick	99338	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 222-7500	950	43	22.1	41.3%	503 (52.9%)	21 (2.2%)	344 (36.2%)	20 (2.1%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	56 (5.9%)	49.1	253^rd of 534 public middle schools	52.6%		45.1	277^th of 535 public middle schools	48.2%	24	35.6	35.6	61.7	56.9	47.2	54.9	39.4	36.7	31.7	35.8	$15,362	$1,649	$13,713
Highlands Middle School	Public	6-8	425 South Tweedt Street	Kennewick	99336	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 222-6700	745	42	17.5	76.5%	250 (33.6%)	9 (1.2%)	445 (59.7%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	29 (3.9%)	11.4	489^th of 534 public middle schools	8.4%		16.9	463^rd of 535 public middle schools	13.5%	26	22.3	22.3	22.2	27.6	34.1	27.7	15.6	16.5	20.4	17.4	$17,772	$1,835	$15,937
Mcloughlin Middle School	Public	6-8	2803 N Road 88	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 547-4542	1,171	54	21.6	58.9%	387 (33.0%)	15 (1.3%)	701 (59.9%)	20 (1.7%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.6%)	38 (3.2%)	27.6	395^th of 534 public middle schools	26.0%		24.3	409^th of 535 public middle schools	23.6%	14	27.5	27.4	40.0	45.1	46.1	43.6	27.1	25.1	24.4	25.6	$16,345	$696	$15,649
Horse Heaven Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	3500 South Vancouver Street	Kennewick	99337	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 585-3260	856	41	20.7	55.0%	419 (48.9%)	31 (3.6%)	356 (41.6%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (5.0%)	26.5	401^st of 534 public middle schools	24.9%		35.3	335^th of 535 public middle schools	37.4%	66	29.8	29.8	38.3	45.7	44.9	43.0	21.7	28.3	22.4	24.2	$15,042	$1,414	$13,628
Park Middle School	Public	6-8	1011 West 10th Avenue	Kennewick	99336	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 222-6900	688	40	17.4	85.2%	126 (18.3%)	12 (1.7%)	489 (71.1%)	23 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.2%)	28 (4.1%)	19.5	442^nd of 534 public middle schools	17.2%		20.3	443^rd of 535 public middle schools	17.2%	1	16.6	16.6	31.9	44.8	34.3	37.4	23.7	29.4	17.9	24.0	$15,799	$1,584	$14,214
Carmichael Middle School	Public	6-8	620 Thayer Drive	Richland	99352	Benton County	Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 967-6425	791	39	20.4	49.6%	489 (61.8%)	15 (1.9%)	212 (26.8%)	21 (2.7%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	47 (5.9%)	40.6	302^nd of 534 public middle schools	43.4%		37.8	316^th of 535 public middle schools	40.9%	14	40.2	40.2	47.7	45.7	40.0	44.4	38.8	37.6	31.8	36.0	$15,687	$330	$15,358
Ray Reynolds Middle School	Public	6-8	9507 Burns Rd	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 543-6700	1,294	64	20.3	54.9%	432 (33.4%)	13 (1.0%)	775 (59.9%)	25 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.5%)	39 (3.0%)	35.6	334^th of 534 public middle schools	37.5%		35.7	331^st of 535 public middle schools	38.1%	3	33.9	33.9	40.5	46.6	42.9	43.3	30.4	38.6	32.3	33.7	$15,452	$607	$14,845
Stevens Middle School	Public	6-8	1120 N 22nd Avenue	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 543-6798	956	51	18.7	91.7%	34 (3.6%)	2 (0.2%)	902 (94.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.2%)	4 (0.4%)	7.6	514^th of 534 public middle schools	3.7%		6.8	525^th of 535 public middle schools	1.9%	11	19.3	19.3	13.0	25.0	31.2	23.4	11.6	9.9	16.5	12.8	$16,039	$778	$15,261
Chief Joseph Middle School	Public	6-8	504 Wilson	Richland	99352	Benton County	Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 967-6400	659	35	18.8	58.4%	401 (60.8%)	11 (1.7%)	174 (26.4%)	15 (2.3%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	51 (7.7%)	39.7	310^th of 534 public middle schools	41.9%		37.1	319^th of 535 public middle schools	40.4%	9	42.6	42.6	40.9	49.3	45.5	45.2	33.8	36.4	30.6	33.6	$17,874	$329	$17,545

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Hills Middle School

What district is Desert Hills Middle School in?

Kennewick School District

What high school do graduates of Desert Hills Middle School attend?

Students who attend Desert Hills Middle School usually go on to attend Kamiakin High School

Is Desert Hills Middle School a good school?

Desert Hills Middle School ranks 117^th of 534 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Hills Middle School?

Students at Desert Hills Middle School are 74% White, 16% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

How many students attend Desert Hills Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 906 students attended Desert Hills Middle School.

Rate Desert Hills Middle School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.