Is South Valley Middle a good school?

South Valley Middle ranks 90 th of 451 Missouri middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South Valley Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 791 students attended South Valley Middle.

What is the racial makeup of South Valley Middle?

Students at South Valley Middle are 73% White, 10% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 7% African American, 3% Asian.

What high school do graduates of South Valley Middle attend?

Students who attend South Valley Middle usually go on to attend Liberty North High School

South Valley Middle

Summary:

South Valley Middle is a public middle school located in Liberty, Missouri, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 791 students. The school is part of the Liberty 53 school district, which is ranked 87 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. South Valley Middle has consistently maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, indicating strong academic performance.

South Valley Middle consistently outperforms the state and district averages in MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) test scores across various subjects and grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had significantly higher proficiency rates in Mathematics, Science, and English Language Arts compared to the Liberty 53 district and the state of Missouri. For example, in 8th grade Mathematics, South Valley Middle had a 28.2% proficiency rate, compared to 25.3% for the Liberty 53 district and 30.6% for the state. The school's performance in serving students with special needs is also noteworthy, ranking 45th out of 194 Missouri middle schools in the 2023-2024 school year.

While South Valley Middle's academic performance is generally stronger than the nearby Heritage Middle School and Liberty Middle School, both of which are also part of the Liberty 53 district, the school's performance is still lower than that of Discovery Middle School, which is located very close to South Valley Middle. This suggests that there may be some best practices or strategies that could be shared between the two schools. Additionally, South Valley Middle has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which could contribute to its strong academic performance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1000 Midjay Dr
Liberty, MO 64068-2996

(816) 736-7180

District: Liberty 53

SchoolDigger Rank:
90^th of 451 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,473

Students who attend South Valley Middle usually attend:

High:

Liberty North High School

Feeder schools for South Valley Middle:

Elementary:	Kellybrook Elementary School
	Warren Hills Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 791

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.5%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Two or more races:

7.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details South Valley Middle ranks better than 80% of middle schools in Missouri. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.01. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 South Valley Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Liberty 53 School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Valley Middle is $11,473, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Valley Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks South Valley Middle 90^th of 451 Missouri public middle schools. (See South Valley Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Liberty 53:

SchoolDigger ranks Liberty 53 87^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for South Valley Middle.

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Your rating for South Valley Middle?

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Rank History for South Valley Middle

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Rank History for all students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	84.05	43^rd	619	93.1%
2007	84.77	33^rd	624	94.7%
2008	85.14	29^th	624	95.4%
2009	88.27	18^th	601	97.0%
2010	87.94	29^th	614	95.3%
2011	83.38	50^th	625	92.0%
2012	81.01	59^th	623	90.5%
2013	81.83	47^th	649	92.8%
2014	72.20	123^rd	633	80.6%
2015	74.30	99^th	585	83.1%
2016	76.36	73^rd	435	83.2%
2017	77.30	75^th	568	86.8%
2018	69.86	113^th	552	79.5%
2019	75.63	88^th	587	85.0%
2021	68.10	114^th	454	74.9%
2022	70.15	107^th	459	76.7%
2023	68.79	112^th	459	75.6%
2024	74.01	90^th	451	80.0%

See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	83.51	16^th	192	91.7%
2024	64.48	45^th	194	76.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	54.91	147^th	422	65.2%
2019	62.07	134^th	482	72.2%
2021	57.43	122^nd	371	67.1%
2022	41.63	218^th	365	40.3%
2023	44.20	216^th	382	43.5%
2024	61.46	109^th	378	71.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	55.81	62^nd	162	61.7%
2019	80.38	19^th	204	90.7%
2021	50.59	75^th	195	61.5%
2022	62.16	49^th	187	73.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	46.03	74^th	104	28.8%
2019	73.42	12^th	121	90.1%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for African American students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	94.58	2^nd	129	98.4%
2019	93.94	3^rd	149	98.0%
2023	35.82	102^nd	153	33.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	66.04	28^th	96	70.8%
2019	61.61	44^th	130	66.2%
2023	68.55	13^th	74	82.4%
2024	60.26	24^th	74	67.6%

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

Rank History for White students at South Valley Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	62.60	133^rd	479	72.2%
2019	69.95	102^nd	527	80.6%
2021	64.68	108^th	376	71.3%
2022	65.45	104^th	381	72.7%
2023	63.57	109^th	385	71.7%
2024	68.66	99^th	379	73.9%

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

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, March 1, 2021

This middle school likes to infringe on our Constitutional rights. My son posted something on his private social media account that the school did not like so they are attempting to suspend him because they are butthurt in their feelings. After all, he voiced his displeasure with a teacher. They are saying he violated school policy and refuse to tell me how the information was obtained? I asked was it done on school time or a school device which I know for a fact it was not and have received no answers. In order for the policy to of had to be broken it has to be done on school time or on their device. So they can go to a private social media account get offended and retaliate for seeing something they willingly chose to go see🤣. You can not make this stuff up. Do not get me started on the lack of support for kids with dIsabilities. Overall this school is not very well ran. You have been warned. Close Quote

Enrollment information for South Valley Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	447	25	6	17	4	n/a	n/a	499
2003	447	25	6	17	4	n/a	n/a	499
2004	472	33	8	18	5	n/a	n/a	536
2005	480	34	12	16	1	n/a	n/a	543
2006	511	36	15	18	2	n/a	n/a	582
2007	506	23	14	19	0	n/a	n/a	562
2008	557	39	12	19	0	n/a	n/a	627
2009	574	42	10	28	4	n/a	n/a	658
2010	690	57	20	37	5	n/a	n/a	809
2011	769	64	21	35	3	3	1	896
2012	774	62	22	50	6	3	6	923
2013	793	53	31	63	6	3	10	959
2014	506	34	10	50	4	0	7	611
2015	539	36	15	39	6	3	7	645
2016	567	39	20	44	7	5	15	697
2017	619	39	25	49	1	5	19	757
2018	647	31	25	55	1	0	20	779
2019	657	42	25	55	4	1	29	813
2020	702	44	17	65	6	1	43	878
2021	644	54	14	66	1	2	45	826
2022	640	52	13	66	1	0	57	829
2023	581	55	20	78	0	0	57	791

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 South Valley Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	499	43.3	11.5	14
2003	499	43.3	11.5	14
2004	536	40.7	13.2	17.2
2005	543	43.0	12.6	13.4
2006	582	45.8	12.7	14.1
2007	562	44.7	12.6	12.1
2008	627	46.1	13.6	13.4
2009	658	50.5	13.0	15.7
2010	809	56.5	14.3	14.5
2011	896	58.0	15.4	14.7
2012	923	66.6	13.8	15.1
2013	959	66.9	14.3	14.8
2014	611	39.8	15.3	18.2
2015	645	41.0	15.7	14.3
2016	697	45.0	15.4	10.6
2017	757	47.5	15.9	14.7
2018	779	48.2	16.1	11.3
2019	813	50.9	15.9	11.8
2020	878	54.4	16.1	13.7
2021	826	57.3	14.4	12.3
2022	829	54.7	15.1	12.2
2023	791	55.3	14.2	17.8

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 South Valley Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	499	43.3	11.5	14
2003	499	43.3	11.5	14
2004	536	40.7	13.2	17.2
2005	543	43.0	12.6	13.4
2006	582	45.8	12.7	14.1
2007	562	44.7	12.6	12.1
2008	627	46.1	13.6	13.4
2009	658	50.5	13.0	15.7
2010	809	56.5	14.3	14.5
2011	896	58.0	15.4	14.7
2012	923	66.6	13.8	15.1
2013	959	66.9	14.3	14.8
2014	611	39.8	15.3	18.2
2015	645	41.0	15.7	14.3
2016	697	45.0	15.4	10.6
2017	757	47.5	15.9	14.7
2018	779	48.2	16.1	11.3
2019	813	50.9	15.9	11.8
2020	878	54.4	16.1	13.7
2021	826	57.3	14.4	12.3
2022	829	54.7	15.1	12.2
2023	791	55.3	14.2	17.8

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 South Valley Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$437 (4.5%)	$9,334 (95.5%)	$9,771
2020	$589 (5.8%)	$9,586 (94.2%)	$10,175
2021	$651 (5.9%)	$10,454 (94.1%)	$11,104
2022	$815 (7.1%)	$10,658 (92.9%)	$11,473

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Valley Middle

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 88^th of 587 Middle schools	Ranks 112^th of 459 Middle schools	9.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (South Valley Middle)	43.1	53.5	10.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)	52.7	50.4	2.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	42.5	43.7	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Valley Middle)	61.5	54.2	7.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)	62	49.4	12.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	45.9	37.5	8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Valley Middle)	45.1	38.3	6.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)	50.4	40.2	10.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	38	39.5	1.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Valley Middle)	53.9	46	7.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)	56.2	44.4	11.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	43.6	37.3	6.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Valley Middle)	44.4	25.8	18.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)	33	27	6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	29	30	1%
8th Grade Science (South Valley Middle)	58.4	34.3	24.1%
8th Grade Science (Liberty 53)	55.7	42.8	12.9%
8th Grade Science (Missouri)	43.7	37.8	5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Valley Middle)	58.9	50.2	8.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)	58.3	51.6	6.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.3	42.7	4.6%
End of Course Algebra I (South Valley Middle)	72.7	60.9	11.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Liberty 53)	51.9	45.1	6.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)	45.3	41.5	3.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	813	791	2.7%
African American	42	55	31%
American Indian	4	0	100%
Asian	25	20	20%
Hispanic	55	78	41.8%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	657	581	11.6%
Two or More Races	29	57	96.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.8%	17.8%	6%

Schools Near South Valley Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)			MAP Algebra I (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Valley Middle	Public	6-8	1000 Midjay Dr	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-7180	791	55	14.2	17.8%	581 (73.5%)	55 (7.0%)	78 (9.9%)	20 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (7.2%)	74	90^th of 451 public middle schools	80.0%		68.8	112^th of 459 public middle schools	75.6%	22	60.3	48.7	28.2	41.1	43.0	46.0	47.1	57.7	$11,473	$815	$10,658
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Midjay Drive	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-7300	653	50	13.1	16.8%	473 (72.4%)	34 (5.2%)	62 (9.5%)	30 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	50 (7.7%)	84.1	48^th of 451 public middle schools	89.4%		74.8	85^th of 459 public middle schools	81.5%	37	60.0	57.5	26.6	48.4	58.2	55.9	55.9	79.9	$12,634	$754	$11,880
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	1500 S Withers	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5410	638	49	13.0	33.4%	482 (75.5%)	39 (6.1%)	60 (9.4%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	49 (7.7%)	57.7	185^th of 451 public middle schools	59.0%		60.7	162^nd of 459 public middle schools	64.7%	23	44.4	42.3	16.3	31.9	40.1	39.5	44.2	69.0	$12,437	$867	$11,570
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	600 W Kansas	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5380	777	52	14.8	25.0%	612 (78.8%)	33 (4.2%)	64 (8.2%)	18 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	48 (6.2%)	74.4	89^th of 451 public middle schools	80.3%		74.4	87^th of 459 public middle schools	81.0%	2	58.1	49.9	28.8	35.0	47.8	46.4	51.5	77.8	$11,596	$250	$11,346
Maple Park Middle	Public	7-8	5300 N Bennington	Kansas City	64119	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5280	638	56	11.3	64.6%	296 (46.4%)	133 (20.8%)	111 (17.4%)	15 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	79 (12.4%)	36.6	294^th of 451 public middle schools	34.8%		34.9	309^th of 459 public middle schools	32.7%	15		25.9	21.7	27.4		32.2	33.1		$13,771	$525	$13,247
Gateway 6th Grade Center	Public	6	9201 N Indiana Ave	Kansas City	64156	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5360	923	60	15.3	36.2%	532 (57.6%)	126 (13.7%)	121 (13.1%)	18 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.5%)	111 (12.0%)								(n/a)	59.8				52.2				$12,434	$528	$11,907
Antioch Middle	Public	7-8	2100 NE 65th St	Gladstone	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5260	865	59	14.7	46.6%	461 (53.3%)	111 (12.8%)	151 (17.5%)	23 (2.7%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.7%)	94 (10.9%)	68.6	118^th of 451 public middle schools	73.8%		68.3	118^th of 459 public middle schools	74.3%			43.3	28.2	40.6		46.9	48.1	94.1	$12,684	$534	$12,149
Eastgate 6th Grade Center	Public	6	4700 NE Parvin Rd	Kansas City	64117	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5270	607	50	12.0	65.1%	273 (45.0%)	131 (21.6%)	98 (16.1%)	23 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.0%)	75 (12.4%)								(n/a)	40.2				35.7				$12,395	$519	$11,876
Northgate Middle	Public	7-8	2117 NE 48th St	Kansas City	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5300	689	53	12.8	62.6%	257 (37.3%)	152 (22.1%)	127 (18.4%)	37 (5.4%)	3 (0.4%)	16 (2.3%)	97 (14.1%)	35.7	297^th of 451 public middle schools	34.1%		39	291^st of 459 public middle schools	36.6%	6		29.2	13.1	25.0		37.5	30.8	92.6	$13,335	$509	$12,826
Frontier School Of Innovation-M	Public, Charter	6-8	1575 Universal Dr.	Kansas City	64120	Jackson County	Frontier Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 822-1331	310	29	10.5	74.5%	28 (9.0%)	35 (11.3%)	240 (77.4%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	53.7	208^th of 451 public middle schools	53.9%		60.3	164^th of 459 public middle schools	64.3%	44	31.4	35.8	69.5	35.4	27.8	23.8	52.1		$13,513	$2,308	$11,204

South Valley Middle

South Valley Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Liberty 53:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for South Valley Middle

Rank History for all students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for African American students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Valley Middle

Rank History for White students at South Valley Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for South Valley Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Valley Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio South Valley Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Valley Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on South Valley Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near South Valley Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about South Valley Middle

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