The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Science. The lowest is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ralston Middle School
Ralston Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in the Ralston Public Schools, a small district embedded within the Omaha metro. The school sits in a community that is nearly built out—a compact, landlocked suburb where redevelopment, not expansion, shapes the landscape. A recent, voter-approved bond has funded facility upgrades across the district without raising the property tax levy, including classroom additions at the high school, new security systems, and infrastructure work that touches the middle school as well.
The school’s student body is diverse and reflects the surrounding neighborhoods. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic mix is split largely between white students and Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Black students, students of two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed and calls for a closer look. In eighth-grade English language arts, slightly under half of students met proficiency. Eighth-grade science proficiency was higher, at just over half. Seventh-grade English results were not reported as a separate figure, and math results for all tested grades were reported at zero percent proficient. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages scores across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Douglas County. Given that math returned a zero rate, a parent should ask the school directly how that figure was reported and whether it reflects a test administration issue, a change in assessment, or actual student performance. The trend line over the past several years shows a decline in science proficiency from a higher past level, and the single-year data for English and math shows an uneven pattern that makes year-over-year comparison uncertain.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, and English learner population were not available in this profile, which limits a full picture of student support. A parent may want to ask the school for its current figures on these topics.
Ralston itself is a small city with a traditional downtown anchored by a five-point intersection, a public library, and city hall. The Liberty First Credit Union Arena brings regional events and sports. The district has shifted elementary literacy instruction toward a science-of-reading approach in recent years, a curriculum change that will eventually reach middle school students as they move up through the grades. Transit service is available through Metro Transit, and the area’s housing is moderately valued relative to national benchmarks, with rents and home prices both showing modest recent increases.
For a family considering Ralston Middle School, the key questions revolve around academic performance in math and the trajectory of English and science results. The school is a regular public school in an established, stable suburb where district investment in facilities is ongoing and visible. The mixed assessment data, combined with the absence of some support-population figures, means a visit and a direct conversation with school leadership would be worthwhile to understand what interventions and instructional approaches are in place.
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