The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hemphill Middle School
Hemphill Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the unincorporated community of Strasburg, Colorado. It is part of the Strasburg School District 31J, a rural district that covers a stretch of the I-70 corridor east of Denver. The school operates as a single middle school for its attendance area, drawing students from the surrounding low-density residential subdivisions and farmland that ring the town.
On state assessments, Hemphill Middle School shows a mixed picture. Proficiency rates in math and science are low, with roughly one in four students meeting state expectations in math and a similar share in eighth-grade science. English language arts results are stronger, with a larger share of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the districts in Adams County. This comparison is worth noting: Hemphill’s absolute numbers are modest, but relative to other middle schools across the county’s thirteen districts, it stands toward the higher end of the range. A parent reviewing these results may want to ask the school about how it supports students who are below proficiency, particularly in math and science, and how it sustains its comparatively stronger ELA performance.
The school enrolls around a typical middle school population for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and small shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the provided information. A sizable portion of students—more than four in ten—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that signals lower average household income in the attendance area.
Strasburg itself is a rural bedroom community that has grown rapidly over recent decades. Much of its working population commutes to Aurora, Brighton, and Denver. Main Street holds a post office, banks, a hardware store, a veterinary clinic, and restaurants, but the overall built environment is low-density and car-dependent; walkability is limited to a small core. Home values in the zip code are elevated relative to national medians, and the area has seen significant new housing construction. The town has no municipal government—Adams and Arapahoe counties provide road maintenance and services—but civic anchors include the school district, a park and recreation district, a volunteer fire district, and a local museum.
The district itself has recently made a major capital investment in school facilities, a noteworthy step for a rural system of this size. Over the past several years, the district has also seen a notable increase in students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, in minority enrollment, and in multilingual learners. In response, it has put intensive intervention programs in place to support a broader range of learning needs. That shift in approach is likely to affect instruction and support services at Hemphill as well.
For a family considering Hemphill Middle School, the academic environment is one where absolute test scores are below majority proficiency but where the school compares favorably within its county. The student population is economically diverse and becoming more so. The setting is a growing commuter town with rural character, limited walkability, and home prices that are high relative to national norms. The district is investing in facilities and adapting its instruction to serve a changing student body. Missing data on special education and English learner enrollment prevents a full picture of student support, and a parent may want to follow up directly with the school.
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