Is Vera Risdon Middle School a good school?

Vera Risdon Middle School ranks 164 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Vera Risdon Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 761 students attended Vera Risdon Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Vera Risdon Middle School?

Students at Vera Risdon Middle School are 28% White, 27% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 6% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

What high school do graduates of Vera Risdon Middle School attend?

Students who attend Vera Risdon Middle School usually go on to attend Hazen Senior High School

Vera Risdon Middle School

Summary:

Vera Risdon Middle School is a public middle school located in Newcastle, Washington, serving 780 students in grades 6-8. As part of the Renton School District, which is ranked 139 out of 247 districts in the state, Vera Risdon Middle School consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.

The school's ELA and math scores are notably higher than the Renton School District and Washington state averages, with 6th and 7th-grade students performing significantly better. However, the school's science performance, as measured by the WCAS, is on par with the district but lags behind the state average. Vera Risdon Middle School's diverse student population includes a significant representation of Asian, Hispanic, and White students, but the performance of different subgroups varies, with Asian and White students performing at the top, while African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Special Education students performing below the state average.

The school's relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from 36.99% to 44.1% over the past few years, is an area of concern, as their performance on standardized tests is below the state average. Vera Risdon Middle School has seen a significant increase in per-student spending, from $8,895 in 2019-2020 to $16,428 in 2021-2022, and the school's student-teacher ratio has fluctuated, ranging from 19.6 to 22.1 over the past few years. These changes in resources suggest the school's commitment to improving the educational experience for its students, but the impact on student outcomes is not yet clear.

Detail:

Public 6-8

6928 116th Ave SE
Newcastle, WA 98056

(425) 204-2700

District: Renton School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
164^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,428

Students who attend Vera Risdon Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hazen Senior High School

Feeder schools for Vera Risdon Middle School:

Elementary:	Hazelwood Elementary School
	Honey Dew Elementary
	Sierra Heights Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 21.3

Number of students: 761

Racial breakdown:

White:

27.9%

Asian:

27.5%

Hispanic:

24.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.8%

See top rated Washington middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Vera Risdon Middle School ranks better than 69.3% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks first among 4 ranked middle schools in the Renton School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.1. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Vera Risdon Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (27.9%), Asian (27.5%), Hispanic (24.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Renton School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Vera Risdon Middle School is 21.3. 2 middle schools in the Renton School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Vera Risdon Middle School employs 35.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Vera Risdon Middle School is $16,428, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Renton School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Vera Risdon Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Vera Risdon Middle School 164^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Vera Risdon Middle School 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:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Renton School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Renton School District 139^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Vera Risdon Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	61.02	182^nd	512	64.5%
2021	55.86	205^th	529	61.2%
2022	49.75	233^rd	541	56.9%
2023	54.16	214^th	539	60.3%
2024	66.10	164^th	535	69.3%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	53.49	115^th	246	53.3%
2021	63.45	74^th	250	70.4%
2022	51.07	119^th	257	53.7%
2023	47.60	119^th	244	51.2%
2024	49.59	108^th	243	55.6%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	33.84	31^st	50	38.0%
2022	38.29	33^rd	63	47.6%
2023	34.63	25^th	57	56.1%
2024	44.60	31^st	78	60.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	31.13	161^st	231	30.3%
2021	32.75	143^rd	210	31.9%
2022	34.23	123^rd	199	38.2%
2023	42.15	90^th	167	46.1%
2024	62.33	55^th	179	69.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	49.50	218^th	448	51.3%
2021	40.69	265^th	458	42.1%
2022	32.82	337^th	475	29.1%
2023	31.75	320^th	463	30.9%
2024	43.54	249^th	455	45.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	61.80	158^th	452	65.0%
2021	61.01	159^th	469	66.1%
2022	51.26	207^th	479	56.8%
2023	61.05	160^th	464	65.5%
2024	66.48	144^th	464	69.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	58.81	166^th	453	63.4%
2021	51.05	205^th	476	56.9%
2022	46.72	224^th	480	53.3%
2023	44.61	235^th	470	50.0%
2024	63.98	138^th	466	70.4%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	62.68	53^rd	152	65.1%
2021	60.39	58^th	149	61.1%
2022	59.22	60^th	161	62.7%
2023	66.01	49^th	145	66.2%
2024	68.02	46^th	148	68.9%

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

Rank History for African American students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	52.30	39^th	111	64.9%
2021	58.37	31^st	106	70.8%
2022	38.13	61^st	104	41.3%
2023	47.02	49^th	96	49.0%
2024	46.39	46^th	90	48.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	30.78	248^th	344	27.9%
2021	22.02	294^th	353	16.7%
2022	18.48	313^th	360	13.1%
2023	25.55	252^nd	336	25.0%
2024	36.11	207^th	344	39.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Vera Risdon Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	68.28	131^st	470	72.1%
2021	61.34	164^th	480	65.8%
2022	54.61	202^nd	488	58.6%
2023	70.23	121^st	488	75.2%
2024	75.44	92^nd	486	81.1%

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

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Vera Risdon Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2018	285	49	230	186	3	4	61	0	818
2019	271	52	250	202	3	1	75	1	855
2020	299	63	243	215	2	1	83	0	906
2021	279	54	222	251	2	4	98	1	911
2022	236	41	200	220	0	7	89	0	793
2023	211	53	189	227	2	8	90	0	780
2024	212	46	209	188	1	9	96	0	761

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 Vera Risdon Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	818	38.0	21.5	39.7
2019	855	40.0	21.3	38
2020	906	41.2	21.9	36.9
2021	911	41.2	22.1	37
2022	793	40.4	19.6	38.7
2023	780	37.4	20.8	44.1
2024	761	35.6	21.3	38.8

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 Vera Risdon Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	818	38.0	21.5	39.7
2019	855	40.0	21.3	38
2020	906	41.2	21.9	36.9
2021	911	41.2	22.1	37
2022	793	40.4	19.6	38.7
2023	780	37.4	20.8	44.1
2024	761	35.6	21.3	38.8

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.

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