Is River Bend Middle a good school?

River Bend Middle ranks in the bottom 16.6% of North Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend River Bend Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 989 students attended River Bend Middle.

What is the racial makeup of River Bend Middle?

Students at River Bend Middle are 43% African American, 40% Hispanic, 9% White, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

River Bend Middle

Summary:

River Bend Middle is a public middle school located in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,124 students. The school is part of the Wake County Schools district, which is ranked 59th out of 242 school districts in North Carolina and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

River Bend Middle faces significant challenges, with a consistently low 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and proficiency rates in Mathematics, Reading, and Science that are significantly lower than the Wake County Schools and North Carolina averages. The school has a higher percentage of African American (41.73%) and Hispanic (39.5%) students compared to nearby schools, which tend to have a higher percentage of White students. Additionally, River Bend Middle has a high percentage of students (73.84%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.9, its spending per student ($8,782) is slightly lower than the nearby schools.

Nearby schools, such as West Millbrook Middle, Wakefield Middle, and Heritage Middle, generally outperform River Bend Middle in academic measures and have a more balanced racial composition, lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and higher rankings within the state. The combination of River Bend Middle's challenges, including racial disparities in academic performance and the need to support its most vulnerable student populations, suggests the school may require targeted interventions and support to address the underlying factors contributing to these disparities.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5601 Wallace Martin Way
Raleigh, NC 27616

(919) 694-8690

District: Wake County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
661^st of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,782

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 989

Racial breakdown:

African American:

43.4%

Hispanic:

39.6%

White:

8.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare River Bend Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details River Bend Middle ranks worse than 83.4% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 35^th among 38 ranked middle schools in the Wake County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.5. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (43.4%), Hispanic (39.6%), White (8.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 76.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at River Bend Middle is 15.2, which is the 17^th best among 38 middle schools in the Wake County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare River Bend Middle employs 65 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at River Bend Middle is $8,782. 25 middle schools in the Wake County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

River Bend Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks River Bend Middle 661^st of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See River Bend Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Wake County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wake County Schools 59^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for River Bend Middle.

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Your rating for River Bend Middle?

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Rank History for River Bend Middle

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Rank History for all students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	20.71	622^nd	737	15.6%
2021	15.96	636^th	741	14.2%
2022	24.09	618^th	786	21.4%
2023	23.76	622^nd	784	20.7%
2024	19.50	661^st	793	16.6%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	24.03	197^th	221	10.9%
2019	24.25	204^th	237	13.9%
2024	14.75	287^th	306	6.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	17.38	150^th	151	0.7%
2019	23.06	197^th	211	6.6%
2022	32.12	228^th	312	26.9%
2023	35.07	210^th	318	34.0%
2024	29.06	272^nd	356	23.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	37.62	266^th	473	43.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	28.01	471^st	604	22.0%
2019	26.67	515^th	639	19.4%
2021	23.37	515^th	633	18.6%
2022	40.23	410^th	689	40.5%
2023	32.28	521^st	735	29.1%
2024	31.31	548^th	743	26.2%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	10.21	69^th	71	2.8%
2022	65.20	9^th	37	75.7%
2023	31.50	41^st	50	18.0%
2024	56.66	14^th	50	72.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	20.28	555^th	656	15.4%
2019	22.73	571^st	684	16.5%
2021	13.98	634^th	706	10.2%
2022	18.77	627^th	733	14.5%
2023	16.62	646^th	731	11.6%
2024	16.09	659^th	738	10.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	27.81	381^st	475	19.8%
2019	29.32	399^th	504	20.8%
2021	41.63	257^th	478	46.2%
2022	31.57	308^th	449	31.4%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	40.54	102^nd	127	19.7%
2019	51.17	267^th	416	35.8%
2021	80.68	11^th	448	97.5%
2022	37.75	370^th	450	17.8%
2023	58.72	224^th	452	50.4%
2024	28.99	411^th	461	10.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	18.84	570^th	665	14.3%
2019	16.23	613^th	697	12.1%
2021	18.14	608^th	711	14.5%
2022	28.15	552^nd	748	26.2%
2023	29.73	541^st	747	27.6%
2024	21.91	610^th	751	18.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	40.99	66^th	95	30.5%
2019	61.93	45^th	102	55.9%
2021	25.02	80^th	99	19.2%
2022	25.71	90^th	109	17.4%
2023	33.38	81^st	110	26.4%
2024	47.82	68^th	110	38.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	48.64	238^th	494	51.8%
2019	44.08	282^nd	519	45.7%
2021	39.80	301^st	533	43.5%
2022	46.91	247^th	550	55.1%
2023	44.67	284^th	559	49.2%
2024	41.51	322^nd	560	42.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	12.95	447^th	472	5.3%
2019	12.61	471^st	493	4.5%
2021	15.74	490^th	522	6.1%
2022	20.60	476^th	541	12.0%
2023	21.24	477^th	553	13.7%
2024	21.46	488^th	564	13.5%

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

Rank History for White students at River Bend Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	37.71	410^th	596	31.2%
2019	43.04	378^th	624	39.4%
2021	28.36	484^th	632	23.4%
2022	37.40	428^th	658	35.0%
2023	38.54	419^th	656	36.1%
2024	17.66	572^nd	652	12.3%

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

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, 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: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.8)

75%

25%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Wednesday, June 8, 2022

The administration at this school is amazing. Supportive of students, teachers and staff. Big on SEL, Restorative Practices and whole child teaching. Students are held accountable for grades and behavior. We are a new school and our population is ever growing. A great school for any teacher, student or staff. Close Quote

by a teacher
Thursday, November 21, 2019

The staff goes the extra mile to prepare students for the next level in education. Close Quote

Enrollment information for River Bend Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2018	110	396	59	391	0	1	30	987
2019	118	505	63	465	0	2	42	1195
2020	107	538	65	495	1	2	38	1246
2021	117	549	55	489	0	0	32	1242
2022	122	516	64	449	2	0	23	1176
2023	123	469	60	444	2	2	24	1124
2024	85	429	42	392	1	2	38	989

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 River Bend Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	987	54.6	18.0	70.6
2019	1195	73.5	16.2	68.6
2020	1246	84.4	14.7	65.2
2021	1242	87.5	14.1	56.4
2022	1176	84.0	14.0	47.9
2023	1124	75.0	14.9	73.8
2024	989	65.0	15.2	76.1

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 River Bend Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	987	54.6	18.0	70.6
2019	1195	73.5	16.2	68.6
2020	1246	84.4	14.7	65.2
2021	1242	87.5	14.1	56.4
2022	1176	84.0	14.0	47.9
2023	1124	75.0	14.9	73.8
2024	989	65.0	15.2	76.1

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 River Bend Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$962 (11.0%)	$7,820 (89.0%)	$8,782

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on River Bend 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 622^nd of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 622^nd of 784 Middle schools	5.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (River Bend Middle)	50	32.9	17.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)	66.1	63.8	2.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.8	52.3	6.5%
6th Grade Reading (River Bend Middle)	41.9	35	6.9%
6th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)	67.8	61.6	6.2%
6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	60	49.3	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (River Bend Middle)	40.8	35.3	5.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)	66	62.3	3.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (River Bend Middle)	45.7	38.1	7.6%
7th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)	67.3	61.6	5.7%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (River Bend Middle)	29.9	31.3	1.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Wake County Schools)	59.6	57	2.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	52.6	44.8	7.8%
8th Grade Reading (River Bend Middle)	33.3	37.9	4.6%
8th Grade Reading (Wake County Schools)	64.8	60.9	3.9%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (River Bend Middle)	58	50.8	7.2%
8th Grade Science (Wake County Schools)	82.4	76.3	6.1%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1195	1124	5.9%
African American	505	469	7.1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	63	60	4.8%
Hispanic	465	444	4.5%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	118	123	4.2%
Two or More Races	42	24	42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	68.6%	73.8%	5.2%

Schools Near River Bend Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
River Bend Middle	Public	6-8	5601 Wallace Martin Way	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-8690	989	65	15.2	76.1%	85 (8.6%)	429 (43.4%)	392 (39.6%)	42 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	38 (3.8%)	19.5	661^st of 793 public middle schools	16.6%		23.8	622^nd of 784 public middle schools	20.7%	39	33.8	27.7	22.7	35.0	33.2	38.2	53.6	$8,782	$962	$7,820
East Millbrook Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3801 Spring Forest Rd	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 850-8755	744	58	12.9	73.3%	104 (14.0%)	356 (47.8%)	236 (31.7%)	13 (1.7%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	27 (3.6%)	16.9	690^th of 793 public middle schools	13.0%		16.3	675^th of 784 public middle schools	13.9%	15	33.9	27.8	25.5	37.6	32.3	29.8	45.4	$11,135	$1,361	$9,773
Neuse River Middle	Public	6-8	2700 Old Milburnie Rd	Raleigh	27604	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 266-8500	907	66	13.6	78.1%	116 (12.8%)	309 (34.1%)	396 (43.7%)	42 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	41 (4.5%)	25.3	614^th of 793 public middle schools	22.6%		23.4	629^th of 784 public middle schools	19.8%	15	47.0	28.9	28.9	35.3	37.6	39.7	53.0	$10,715	$1,359	$9,355
Durant Road Middle	Public	6-8	10401 Durant Rd	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 870-4098	678	52	13.1	67.1%	177 (26.1%)	198 (29.2%)	241 (35.5%)	41 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.9%)	33.2	547^th of 793 public middle schools	31.0%		34.5	518^th of 784 public middle schools	33.9%	29	42.3	31.9	39.2	43.8	38.4	43.1	61.8	$10,019	$499	$9,520
Rolesville Middle	Public	6-8	4700 Burlington Mills Road	Rolesville	27571	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 570-2260	944	60	15.7	41.7%	353 (37.4%)	306 (32.4%)	190 (20.1%)	36 (3.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (6.1%)	66.1	240^th of 793 public middle schools	69.7%		53	358^th of 784 public middle schools	54.3%	118	66.4	60.0	48.8	59.0	55.0	54.2	74.0	$9,428	$385	$9,043
River Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	4700 New Bern Ave	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 231-5600	37	15	2.4	91.9%	3 (8.1%)	11 (29.7%)	21 (56.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)	6.4	761^st of 793 public middle schools	4.0%		5.9	746^th of 784 public middle schools	4.8%	15		18.8	5.7		35.3	23.5	20.6	$33,564	$1,102	$32,462
West Millbrook Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	8115 Strickland Rd	Raleigh	27615	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 870-4050	1,105	67	16.5	34.1%	629 (56.9%)	159 (14.4%)	253 (22.9%)	29 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.0%)	76.5	158^th of 793 public middle schools	80.1%		64.7	246^th of 784 public middle schools	68.6%	88	70.5	64.4	54.7	69.9	60.1	63.4	73.7	$8,987	$359	$8,628
Wakefield Middle	Public	6-8	2300 Wakefield Pines Drive	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-3500	832	50	16.6	28.5%	486 (58.4%)	151 (18.1%)	125 (15.0%)	29 (3.5%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (4.4%)	82.1	114^th of 793 public middle schools	85.6%		73.2	178^th of 784 public middle schools	77.3%	64	68.5	56.4	63.1	72.3	62.4	70.7	87.9	$8,502	$321	$8,181
Heritage Middle	Public	6-8	3400 Rogers Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-6204	947	61	15.5	15.9%	632 (66.7%)	128 (13.5%)	103 (10.9%)	56 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.0%)	92.8	46^th of 793 public middle schools	94.2%		94	32^nd of 784 public middle schools	95.9%	14	84.1	85.1	73.3	79.7	72.8	72.7	88.4	$9,218	$405	$8,813
Carroll Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4520 Six Forks Rd	Raleigh	27609	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 881-1370	863	59	14.7	61.5%	274 (31.7%)	280 (32.4%)	250 (29.0%)	19 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.5%)	39	494^th of 793 public middle schools	37.7%		37	490^th of 784 public middle schools	37.5%	4	45.3	35.5	39.8	41.7	43.6	50.0	65.0	$9,352	$593	$8,759

River Bend Middle

River Bend Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Wake County Schools:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for River Bend Middle

Rank History for all students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Homeless students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Female students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Male students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Asian students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for African American students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at River Bend Middle

Rank History for White students at River Bend Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for River Bend Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at River Bend Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio River Bend Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for River Bend Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on River Bend Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near River Bend Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about River Bend Middle

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