The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Armand Larive Middle School
Armand Larive Middle School sits in Hermiston, a city in northeastern Oregon that has grown from its roots in potato and onion farming into a regional center for logistics, data centers, and food processing. The city is the largest and fastest-growing in its micropolitan area, with a young and predominantly Latino population. The school serves students in grades six through eight under the Hermiston School District, which opened a new elementary school in recent years to accommodate enrollment growth.
The student body is diverse, with a Hispanic majority and a white minority, reflecting the broader community. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families work in the area’s agriculture, warehousing, and service sectors. As a regular public middle school, Armand Larive is the main academic pathway for pre-teens before they move on to Hermiston High School.
On the most recent state assessments, the school posted proficiency rates that, when combined across subjects and grades, landed below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Umatilla County. In both English language arts and math, the share of students meeting state benchmarks hovered below half at every grade level. Science results for eighth graders were lower still. These are the only test data available for the school, and because only a single year of results was reported, there is no way to see whether performance has been trending up or down. A parent considering this school may want to ask what academic interventions, tutoring, or enrichment programs are in place to support students who are not yet at the proficient level.
The school’s setting is a mid-sized city where housing is moderately priced relative to the state, with rental costs that are manageable compared to many Oregon communities. The local economy includes major employers such as Amazon Web Services, a Walmart distribution center, healthcare, and food-processing plants, giving the area a working-class and increasingly technology-oriented character. Travel times are short, and most residents work locally.
As a middle school, Armand Larive does not report a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism data, or course access offerings, so those dimensions of school quality are not available to assess. The district has been investing in facilities, with a new elementary school recently opened, and the community continues to grow, driven in part by an expanding Latino population and new industrial investment.
For a family, this is a midsized public middle school in a growing, affordable city with a strong agricultural and logistics base. The academic numbers suggest that the school is still working to raise student outcomes to meet state standards, and the lack of trend data makes it difficult to gauge progress. The student body is economically and ethnically diverse, which may appeal to families looking for a real-world peer environment. Parents who value a close look at how the school supports struggling learners will want to follow up directly with the school for specifics not captured in the available data.
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