Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 98056

ZIP code 98056 has two middle schools serving grades 6–8: McKnight Middle School and Vera Risdon Middle School, both part of the Renton School District and enrolling 1,562 students combined. The schools offer similar grade levels and district oversight, but their recent academic results and rankings differ considerably.

Vera Risdon Middle School is the stronger overall performer. In 2025–2026, it ranked 112th of 514 Washington middle schools, in the 78th percentile, with a four-star rating. Its proficiency rates were 59.34% in English Language Arts, 50.07% in math, and 61.69% in science. It exceeded both district and state rates in every subject, with especially strong science results. Vera also led McKnight Middle School in every reported grade and subject. Its largest advantage was in 8th-grade ELA, where proficiency was 65.46%, compared with 38.62% at McKnight. Vera’s results improved in all three subjects from the prior year, including a notable 12.97-point gain in science.

McKnight Middle School ranked at the 50th percentile with a three-star rating. Its 2025–2026 proficiency rates were 42.84% in ELA, 40.44% in math, and 42.45% in science—below district and state rates in each subject. Math is a relative strength: McKnight exceeded district grade-level math results in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, and its 6th-grade result surpassed the state rate. McKnight’s ranking declined over three years, while Vera’s improved. McKnight also has higher reported per-student spending and a slightly lower student-teacher ratio, but serves a larger share of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, so families should view these figures as context rather than explanations of performance.