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Chief Joseph Middle School

Q: Is Chief Joseph Middle School a good school?

Chief Joseph Middle School ranks 311 th of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

311^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 39% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Chief Joseph Middle School serves about 659 students in grades 6–8 in Richland, a Tri-Cities community in southeastern Washington. The school is part of the relatively strong Richland School District, which ranks in the 67th percentile statewide, but Chief Joseph ranks in the 39th percentile among Washington middle schools. Its statewide standing has fallen from the low-50th percentiles in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 to the high-30s and low-40s in recent years. The school also serves a higher-need population than several nearby Richland schools: 58.42% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025.

Academic results are below both district and state averages in every tested subject. In 2025–2026, 41.89% of students were proficient in English language arts, 31.48% in math, and 41.94% in science. Math is the clearest overall weakness, while eighth grade is a particular concern: eighth-grade proficiency was 36.49% in ELA and 28.77% in math. Results also declined from the prior year in all three subjects. Compared with nearby Leona Libby Middle School, Chief Joseph was behind by roughly 23 to 26 percentage points across the tested subjects. It also trailed Enterprise Middle School, although the differences were smaller. Its results were broadly similar to Carmichael Middle School, with Chief Joseph slightly ahead in ELA and science but slightly behind in math.

Chief Joseph is not among the lowest-performing schools in the wider Tri-Cities area. It generally outperformed Park Middle School and Stevens Middle School, particularly in science, and was close to Ray Reynolds Middle School. The school reported comparatively favorable staffing and spending figures, including an 18.8-to-1 student-teacher ratio and $17,874 in per-student spending. Still, outcomes for students with disabilities ranked at the 8th percentile statewide, while low-income students ranked between the 20th and 26th percentiles in recent years. Key improvement priorities are eighth-grade support, math, declining ELA performance, and ensuring resources effectively reach students needing additional academic or special education assistance.

659

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,874

Per pupil spending ?

58.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

504 Wilson
Richland, WA 99352

(509) 967-6400

District: Richland School District

Students who attend Chief Joseph Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hanford High School

Feeder schools for Chief Joseph Middle School:

Elementary:	Jason Lee Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary
	Sacajawea Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.8%

Hispanic:

26.4%

Two or more races:

7.7%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Chief Joseph Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 53rd percentile in 2022 → 39th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (37% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 53rd-percentile peak (2022) to 39th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg52%

Washington avg48%

311^th of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Middle Schools in the Richland School District

78^th of 238Richland 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
2026	37.1	311 of 514	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	310 of 534	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.1	319 of 535	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.1	263 of 539	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.9	256 of 541	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.9	301 of 529	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.8	393 of 512	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.5	282 of 437	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	31.8	306 of 435	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	28.4	323 of 443	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	32.7	303 of 445	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	36.6	335 of 498	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.7	317 of 497	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.3	343 of 492	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.2	337 of 483	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	38.5	309 of 476	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	42.1	283 of 466	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.3	231 of 463	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	49.4	220 of 449	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.1	148 of 425	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	69.9	111 of 421	73.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	62.0	14 of 63	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	34.8	86 of 135	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	34.3	297 of 443	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.4	308 of 471	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.1	327 of 464	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.3	240 of 464	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.7	242 of 479	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.8	275 of 469	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.8	347 of 452	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	238 of 376	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	19.9	300 of 347	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	282 of 347	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	309 of 344	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	242 of 336	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	252 of 360	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.4	291 of 353	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.9	279 of 344	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	228 of 259	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	24.3	363 of 453	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.2	344 of 457	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	338 of 455	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.0	244 of 463	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	268 of 475	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.5	225 of 458	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.7	366 of 448	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.0	275 of 349	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	278 of 454	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.4	273 of 472	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.5	262 of 466	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.6	236 of 470	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.2	234 of 480	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	258 of 476	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.7	360 of 453	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	261 of 371	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	143 of 222	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.2	140 of 246	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.8	188 of 243	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.3	151 of 244	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.5	183 of 257	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	211 of 250	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.1	223 of 246	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.1	125 of 166	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	17.8	207 of 226	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.6	140 of 186	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.4	94 of 179	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.3	123 of 167	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.1	92 of 199	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.5	116 of 210	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.5	183 of 268	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	39.8	266 of 453	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	279 of 488	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.5	266 of 486	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.0	207 of 488	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	230 of 488	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.1	249 of 480	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.9	375 of 470	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	243 of 325	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)78th percentile+25 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile~ school

Male (2026)39th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)36th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)20th percentile-20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile-26 vs school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

Science42%-9 vs state

English Language Arts42%-11 vs state

Math31%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Chief Joseph Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
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%)	37.1	311^th of 514 public middle schools	39.5%		39.7	310^th of 534 public middle schools	41.9%	1	41.9	41.9	44.8	44.8	36.5	41.9	30.8	35.3	28.8	31.5	$17,874	$329	$17,545
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%)	35.3	324^th of 514 public middle schools	37.0%		40.6	302^nd of 534 public middle schools	43.4%	22	37.3	37.3	37.7	48.9	30.1	38.8	33.2	34.1	34.6	34.0	$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%)	37.6	305^th of 514 public middle schools	40.7%		35.6	334^th of 534 public middle schools	37.5%	29	41.2	41.2	43.8	42.9	42.8	43.1	32.2	33.7	28.7	31.6	$15,452	$607	$14,845
Enterprise Middle School	Public	6-8	5200 Paradise Way	West Richland	99353	Benton County	Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 967-6200	745	37	19.9	34.0%	526 (70.6%)	8 (1.1%)	152 (20.4%)	19 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (5.1%)	55.3	206^th of 514 public middle schools	59.9%		61.4	183^rd of 534 public middle schools	65.7%	23	54.9	54.9	44.8	53.1	44.1	47.2	40.8	44.9	37.3	40.9	$17,227	$408	$16,819
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%)	24.6	388^th of 514 public middle schools	24.5%		27.6	395^th of 534 public middle schools	26.0%	7	34.2	34.2	29.6	42.0	42.1	37.9	20.4	26.8	24.1	23.7	$16,345	$696	$15,649
Leona Libby Middle School	Public	6-8	3259 Belmont Blvd.	West Richland	99353	Benton County	Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 967-6465	805	40	19.9	20.6%	541 (67.2%)	9 (1.1%)	141 (17.5%)	61 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.7%)	46 (5.7%)	86.6	65^th of 514 public middle schools	87.4%		85.9	65^th of 534 public middle schools	87.8%		65.0	65.0	68.3	67.9	66.9	67.7	62.0	56.4	51.0	56.5	$15,525	$334	$15,191
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%)	77.6	104^th of 514 public middle schools	79.8%		73.5	117^th of 534 public middle schools	78.1%	13	53.2	53.2	60.5	65.1	64.8	63.4	46.4	50.0	56.6	50.9	$14,592	$1,989	$12,602
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%)	17.3	434^th of 514 public middle schools	15.6%		11.4	489^th of 534 public middle schools	8.4%	55	30.4	30.4	33.0	27.2	32.0	30.8	23.6	20.3	22.5	22.1	$17,772	$1,835	$15,937
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%)	6.6	500^th of 514 public middle schools	2.7%		7.6	514^th of 534 public middle schools	3.7%	14	17.1	17.1	13.9	29.8	23.8	22.5	13.9	12.3	8.4	11.5	$16,039	$778	$15,261
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%)	59.7	178^th of 514 public middle schools	65.4%		49.1	253^rd of 534 public middle schools	52.6%	75	43.1	43.1	57.9	63.6	56.3	59.1	39.0	41.1	32.9	37.5	$15,362	$1,649	$13,713

Frequently Asked Questions about Chief Joseph Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Chief Joseph Middle School?

Students at Chief Joseph Middle School are 61% White, 26% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American.

Is Chief Joseph Middle School a good school?

Chief Joseph Middle School ranks 311^th of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chief Joseph Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 659 students attended Chief Joseph Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Chief Joseph Middle School attend?

Students who attend Chief Joseph Middle School usually go on to attend Hanford High School

What district is Chief Joseph Middle School in?

Richland School District

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2016–17 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

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.