Is Overland Trail Middle School a good school?

Overland Trail Middle School ranks in the bottom 4.9% of Colorado middle schools.

How many students attend Overland Trail Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 538 students attended Overland Trail Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Overland Trail Middle School?

Students at Overland Trail Middle School are 70% Hispanic, 25% White, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Overland Trail Middle School attend?

Students who attend Overland Trail Middle School usually go on to attend Brighton High School

Overland Trail Middle School

Summary:

Overland Trail Middle School is a public middle school in Brighton, Colorado, serving 538 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the School District 27J, which is ranked 82 out of 116 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Overland Trail Middle School faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has a much higher percentage of Hispanic students, around 70%, and consistently performs below district and state averages in CMAS assessments for English Language Arts, Math, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.4% of Overland Trail students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 30.5% for the district and 44.1% for the state. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Colorado middle schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its performance is particularly low for Hispanic students, low-socioeconomic status students, and male students, with rankings in the bottom 10-20% of Colorado middle schools for these subgroups.

Overland Trail Middle School's challenges are further highlighted by the fact that nearby schools, such as Prairie View Middle School and Rodger Quist Middle School, both within the same School District 27J, outperform Overland Trail across all academic metrics and have higher school rankings. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Overland Trail has increased from 39.73% in 2020-2021 to 59.85% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of students from low-income families, which may be contributing to the school's challenges.

Detail:

Public 6-8

455 North 19th Avenue
Brighton, CO 80601-3501

(303) 655-4000

District: School District 27J

SchoolDigger Rank:
461^st of 485 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,121

Students who attend Overland Trail Middle School usually attend:

High:

Brighton High School

Feeder schools for Overland Trail Middle School:

Elementary:	Mary E Pennock Elementary School
	Northeast Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 538

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.4%

White:

24.7%

Asian:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.9%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Overland Trail Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Overland Trail Middle School ranks worse than 95.1% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks last among 5 ranked middle schools in the School District 27J. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.58. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Overland Trail Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the School District 27J. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Overland Trail Middle School is $14,121, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the School District 27J!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Overland Trail Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Overland Trail Middle School 461^st of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See Overland Trail Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

School District 27J:

SchoolDigger ranks School District 27J 82^nd of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Overland Trail Middle School?

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Rank History for Overland Trail Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	24.51	263^rd	336	21.7%
2005	19.69	283^rd	340	16.8%
2006	19.55	296^th	346	14.5%
2007	13.87	316^th	360	12.2%
2008	26.64	285^th	362	21.3%
2009	25.71	298^th	377	21.0%
2010	29.19	312^th	409	23.7%
2011	28.52	323^rd	422	23.5%
2012	26.56	326^th	425	23.3%
2013	31.79	330^th	454	27.3%
2014	20.31	384^th	461	16.7%
2015	21.87	352^nd	436	19.3%
2016	15.91	349^th	400	12.8%
2017	18.58	351^st	424	17.2%
2018	21.61	320^th	418	23.4%
2019	13.84	394^th	458	14.0%
2021	12.38	344^th	369	6.8%
2023	11.60	436^th	480	9.2%
2024	8.58	461^st	485	4.9%

See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	30.80	156^th	222	29.7%
2019	14.49	232^nd	240	3.3%
2021	22.42	101^st	114	11.4%
2022	18.38	183^rd	197	7.1%
2023	17.87	223^rd	241	7.5%
2024	8.46	243^rd	244	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	22.69	245^th	315	22.2%
2019	12.63	311^th	352	11.6%
2021	11.50	244^th	254	3.9%
2023	9.46	339^th	363	6.6%
2024	8.07	339^th	350	3.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	13.99	284^th	317	10.4%
2019	10.50	324^th	343	5.5%
2021	9.45	244^th	249	2.0%
2023	8.52	346^th	356	2.8%
2024	6.28	355^th	357	0.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	25.17	128^th	165	22.4%
2019	13.87	206^th	220	6.4%
2021	16.98	79^th	83	4.8%
2022	15.92	152^nd	169	10.1%
2023	12.66	192^nd	198	3.0%
2024	9.07	198^th	199	0.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	8.36	274^th	283	3.2%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Overland Trail Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	271	2	0	153	3	n/a	n/a	429
1989	276	4	0	164	3	n/a	n/a	447
1990	259	2	0	170	1	n/a	n/a	432
1991	226	1	0	196	2	n/a	n/a	425
1992	268	3	2	194	4	n/a	n/a	471
1993	281	3	2	181	5	n/a	n/a	472
1994	314	3	3	207	6	n/a	n/a	533
1995	309	5	2	230	2	n/a	n/a	548
1996	309	5	2	230	2	n/a	n/a	548
1997	301	4	2	207	4	n/a	n/a	518
1998	303	3	3	201	4	n/a	n/a	514
1999	255	3	2	202	4	n/a	n/a	466
2000	268	5	5	200	1	n/a	n/a	479
2001	311	6	7	207	0	n/a	n/a	531
2002	325	6	8	257	5	n/a	n/a	601
2003	325	6	8	257	5	n/a	n/a	601
2004	295	10	6	267	5	n/a	n/a	583
2005	267	8	10	289	3	n/a	n/a	577
2006	283	6	16	292	4	n/a	n/a	601
2007	246	9	16	281	7	n/a	n/a	559
2008	245	11	11	314	8	n/a	n/a	589
2009	300	9	17	326	6	n/a	n/a	658
2010	307	4	15	343	13	n/a	n/a	682
2011	283	6	5	377	5	1	13	690
2012	271	5	4	362	3	1	9	655
2013	271	5	4	371	4	1	10	666
2014	247	5	6	375	5	0	12	650
2015	218	7	6	361	5	0	16	613
2016	229	8	6	362	4	1	19	629
2017	217	9	8	350	2	1	21	608
2018	203	9	14	346	3	3	19	597
2019	202	2	15	376	3	2	21	621
2020	194	9	12	389	1	1	13	619
2021	147	8	9	410	2	2	11	589
2022	140	3	6	388	3	0	6	546
2023	133	3	10	379	5	0	8	538

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Overland Trail Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	429	27.5	15.6	n/a
1989	447	27.5	16.2	24.4
1990	432	25.6	16.8	0
1991	425	26.7	15.9	26.6
1992	471	25.9	18.1	34.6
1993	472	26.9	17.5	32.6
1994	533	28.0	19.0	32.8
1995	548	28.2	19.4	32.7
1996	548	28.2	19.4	32.7
1997	518	29.2	17.7	26.1
1998	514	28.8	17.8	23.3
1999	466	28.5	16.4	29.2
2000	479	24.7	19.4	30.3
2001	531	30.8	17.2	32.8
2002	601	35.7	16.8	35.4
2003	601	35.7	16.8	35.4
2004	583	36.5	16.0	37.9
2005	577	33.6	17.2	43.7
2006	601	34.5	17.4	42.9
2007	559	33.0	16.9	42
2008	589	37.6	15.7	43.6
2009	658	38.1	17.3	40.1
2010	682	38.7	17.6	42.8
2011	690	33.4	20.6	44.3
2012	655	32.0	20.4	49.2
2013	666	31.9	20.8	51.2
2014	650	33.5	19.3	56
2015	613	32.0	19.1	56.9
2016	629	27.0	23.2	56
2017	608	32.6	18.5	59.9
2018	597	33.6	17.7	58
2019	621	32.5	19.0	57
2020	619	30.0	20.5	57.5
2021	589	35.6	16.5	39.7
2022	546	35.0	15.6	49.1
2023	538	39.0	13.7	59.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Overland Trail Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	429	27.5	15.6	n/a
1989	447	27.5	16.2	24.4
1990	432	25.6	16.8	0
1991	425	26.7	15.9	26.6
1992	471	25.9	18.1	34.6
1993	472	26.9	17.5	32.6
1994	533	28.0	19.0	32.8
1995	548	28.2	19.4	32.7
1996	548	28.2	19.4	32.7
1997	518	29.2	17.7	26.1
1998	514	28.8	17.8	23.3
1999	466	28.5	16.4	29.2
2000	479	24.7	19.4	30.3
2001	531	30.8	17.2	32.8
2002	601	35.7	16.8	35.4
2003	601	35.7	16.8	35.4
2004	583	36.5	16.0	37.9
2005	577	33.6	17.2	43.7
2006	601	34.5	17.4	42.9
2007	559	33.0	16.9	42
2008	589	37.6	15.7	43.6
2009	658	38.1	17.3	40.1
2010	682	38.7	17.6	42.8
2011	690	33.4	20.6	44.3
2012	655	32.0	20.4	49.2
2013	666	31.9	20.8	51.2
2014	650	33.5	19.3	56
2015	613	32.0	19.1	56.9
2016	629	27.0	23.2	56
2017	608	32.6	18.5	59.9
2018	597	33.6	17.7	58
2019	621	32.5	19.0	57
2020	619	30.0	20.5	57.5
2021	589	35.6	16.5	39.7
2022	546	35.0	15.6	49.1
2023	538	39.0	13.7	59.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Overland Trail Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,311
2020	$9,308
2021	$10,661
2022	$11,604
2023	$14,121

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Overland Trail Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 394^th of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 436^th of 480 Middle schools	4.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Overland Trail Middle School)	31.7	19.4	12.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (School District 27J)	34.5	31.7	2.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.5	45	1.5%
7th Grade Math (Overland Trail Middle School)	15.3	8.4	6.9%
7th Grade Math (School District 27J)	19.3	15.2	4.1%
7th Grade Math (Colorado)	31.6	26.3	5.3%
8th Grade Science (Overland Trail Middle School)	12.2	8.6	3.6%
8th Grade Science (School District 27J)	18.9	16.8	2.1%
8th Grade Science (Colorado)	31.5	31.3	0.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Overland Trail Middle School)	23.1	15.7	7.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (School District 27J)	38.2	32	6.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Overland Trail Middle School)	11.4	6.6	4.8%
All Grades Math (School District 27J)	28	22.6	5.4%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	621	538	13.4%
African American	2	3	50%
American Indian	3	5	66.7%
Asian	15	10	33.3%
Hispanic	376	379	0.8%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	202	133	34.2%
Two or More Races	21	8	61.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57%	59.9%	2.8%

Schools Near Overland Trail Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)				CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Overland Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	455 North 19th Avenue	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-4000	538	39	13.7	59.9%	133 (24.7%)	3 (0.6%)	379 (70.4%)	10 (1.9%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	8.6	461^st of 485 public middle schools	4.9%		11.6	436^th of 480 public middle schools	9.2%	25			15.9	13.4	4.9			4.7	8.5	$14,121
Vikan Middle School	Public	6-8	879 Jessup Street	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-4050	580	35	16.5	63.6%	157 (27.1%)	11 (1.9%)	393 (67.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.4%)	11.9	438^th of 485 public middle schools	9.7%		14.7	408^th of 480 public middle schools	15.0%	30	19.0	12.4	16.7	16.0	13.6	11.2	11.4	12.0	14.4	$13,581
Prairie View Middle School	Public	6-8	12915 East 120th Avenue	Henderson	80640	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(720) 685-5400	658	33	19.8	45.4%	220 (33.4%)	13 (2.0%)	384 (58.4%)	18 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	20 (3.0%)	22.9	355^th of 485 public middle schools	26.8%		19.9	370^th of 480 public middle schools	22.9%	15	24.9	29.4	27.7	27.4	13.5	20.5	20.3	18.2	24.0	$12,441
Fort Lupton Middle School	Public	6-8	201 South McKinley	Fort Lupton	80621	Weld County	Weld re-8 schools	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 857-7200	446	25	17.5	66.8%	77 (17.3%)	2 (0.4%)	359 (80.5%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	10.2	451^st of 485 public middle schools	7.0%		8	469^th of 480 public middle schools	2.3%	18	17.5	22.4	15.4	18.3	6.3	10.3	9.0	8.5	8.4	$14,337
Rodger Quist Middle School	Public	6-8	13451 Yosemite Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-6950	923	45	20.3	23.2%	461 (49.9%)	13 (1.4%)	336 (36.4%)	71 (7.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.3%)	27.9	324^th of 485 public middle schools	33.2%		30.1	311^th of 480 public middle schools	35.2%	13	30.0	32.8	38.4	33.9	16.8	24.2	18.6	19.8	21.3	$5,391
Otho E Stuart Middle School	Public	6-8	15955 East 101st Way	Commerce City	80022	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(720) 685-5500	791	40	19.6	41.5%	270 (34.1%)	39 (4.9%)	408 (51.6%)	35 (4.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	34 (4.3%)	13.9	418^th of 485 public middle schools	13.8%		17	391^st of 480 public middle schools	18.5%	27	24.8	20.1	23.7	23.0	11.0	7.9	13.1	10.7	13.9	$12,294
Shadow Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	12551 Holly Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5040	672	39	17.3	54.9%	260 (38.7%)	4 (0.6%)	362 (53.9%)	22 (3.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.0%)	12.4	435^th of 485 public middle schools	10.3%		12.2	429^th of 480 public middle schools	10.6%	6	15.3	23.9	15.1	18.7		13.6		11.7		$15,201
Rocky Top Middle School	Public	6-8	14150 York Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-2200	1,001	56	17.7	23.3%	592 (59.1%)	13 (1.3%)	260 (26.0%)	73 (7.3%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	55 (5.5%)	76.2	92^nd of 485 public middle schools	81.0%		69.3	120^th of 480 public middle schools	75.0%	28	58.9	56.0	51.0	55.9	47.5	44.6	57.1	49.0	50.7	$13,792
Century Middle School	Public	6-8	13000 Lafayette Street	Thornton	80241	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5240	827	47	17.5	46.4%	392 (47.4%)	12 (1.5%)	346 (41.8%)	33 (4.0%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.8%)	34.1	287^th of 485 public middle schools	40.8%		34.1	292^nd of 480 public middle schools	39.2%	5	29.6	38.6	35.5	34.8	16.1	18.8	26.8	20.8	38.6	$14,515
Northglenn Middle School	Public	6-8	1123 Muriel Drive	Northglenn	80233	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5080	684	44	15.5	85.2%	140 (20.5%)	10 (1.5%)	480 (70.2%)	23 (3.4%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (3.4%)	13.4	424^th of 485 public middle schools	12.6%		10.9	445^th of 480 public middle schools	7.3%	21	14.7	16.9	31.5	20.8	6.4	6.2	15.5	9.2	15.9	$15,634

Overland Trail Middle School

Overland Trail Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

School District 27J:

What do you think?

Rank History for Overland Trail Middle School

Rank History for all students at Overland Trail Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Overland Trail Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Overland Trail Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Overland Trail Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Overland Trail Middle School

Rank History for White students at Overland Trail Middle School

Enrollment information for Overland Trail Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Overland Trail Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Overland Trail Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Overland Trail Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Overland Trail Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Overland Trail Middle School