The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Science. The lowest is 0% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on New Richmond Middle School
New Richmond Middle School serves sixth through eighth grades in a small historic village on the Ohio River in southern Clermont County. The school sits on a consolidated campus shared with the high school, set apart from the compact riverfront downtown that anchors civic life.
The school's current enrollment is small, around several hundred students, spread evenly across three grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The specific share of students with disabilities or English learners is not available in the data provided.
State testing results from this school year show mixed performance. In English language arts, proficiency sits at a level below where the county's districts cluster on average, and math proficiency is notably lower, reflecting a genuine gap that a parent may want to discuss with the school when considering fit. Science proficiency is stronger, running at a more competitive level. The school maintains high participation rates on all state assessments, indicating that testing infrastructure is solid and data is reliable. Only one student in the dataset took a social studies assessment, so no meaningful social studies proficiency rate can be drawn from that data. Multi-year trend data is thin—only a single year of comparable testing is available—so whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability cannot be determined from the figures on hand.
The village itself sits in a region shaped by major economic change. The closure of two large power plants that once dominated local tax bases—Beckjord and Zimmer—has upended the school district's finances. The district was placed in fiscal caution by the state in late 2025 and must execute a mandated recovery plan. For the coming school year, this means reductions in teaching staff, support positions including a full-time mental health counselor and school psychologist, and administrative positions. Class sizes will likely grow. Pay-to-play athletics fees rise significantly with no family cap, adding a cost burden for families with multiple children or multiple-sport athletes.
Voters have twice rejected new operating levies in consecutive elections, leaving the district without new local revenue to offset the power-plant tax losses. This is a district under genuine financial strain, and that strain will be visible in class sizes, program breadth, and student support staffing in the year ahead.
The housing market in the area is modest and affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. New residential subdivisions are active on the hillsides east of the river, away from the flood-prone west side where historic homes cluster. The riverfront is undergoing revitalization with shops, restaurants, and outdoor spaces, and a major redevelopment question looms around the former coal-plant site, though cleanup obstacles remain significant.
For a family considering New Richmond Middle School, the picture is a solid small-town setting with emerging budget constraints. Math proficiency is the soft spot academically. The fiscal pressures are real, immediate, and directly affect the learning environment. The village offers walkability and community anchors, but the district's near-term outlook depends on whether future levy attempts succeed. A parent weighing this school should have direct conversations with staff about class sizes, support services, and the district's recovery timeline.
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