The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Science. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rich Middle School
Rich Middle School serves grades six through eight in the small rural town of Laketown, Utah, at the south end of Bear Lake. The school is part of Rich District, a single-district county, and it occupies a central location along with the town’s elementary and high school, all within a few blocks of civic buildings and the LDS church. Laketown itself is a pioneer-heritage settlement with minimal commercial activity—a convenience store, auto repair, and fast food—and residents rely entirely on personal vehicles. The town has seen notable population growth in recent years, and property values have risen steeply, well above national norms, driven partly by recreation demand around Bear Lake. For families considering the area, the housing market has become expensive, and the school sits in a community where most adults work in educational services, retail, or tourism.
Academically, the school’s state assessment results paint a mixed picture. In math, proficiency was below half of students tested. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was moderate, though the state made a cut-score change in that subject around the same testing period, which parents may want to ask about when comparing year-to-year results. Science performance was stronger, with a majority of students meeting proficiency. Because Rich County has only this one district, there is no local peer group to benchmark against; the scores simply stand on their own. No long-term trend data was available, and participation rates on the assessments were not reported. For a middle school, there is no graduation rate to consider, and the data set did not include information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access, so families interested in those details would need to reach out to the school directly.
The student body is small and demographically very homogeneous. The great majority of students are white, with a small Hispanic share and a few students of other backgrounds. A substantial portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many households in the community face some economic pressure despite the high property values. The school’s enrollment is roughly balanced across the three middle grades, and the total number of students is modest—typical for a rural school in a town of this size. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available in the public record.
The district context includes two recent parent-relevant developments. A statewide scholarship program, the Utah Fits All Scholarship, launched in 2024 and offers per-student funding that eligible families can use toward private school tuition, homeschooling, or other customized learning options, providing an alternative pathway for those who want it. Separately, the district received a substantial grant from the state board of education for student devices and teacher training at the elementary level, a lasting investment in digital learning infrastructure. No other major district-level changes were reported.
For a family weighing this school, the picture is one of a very small, tight-knit rural community with a school that shows uneven test performance—stronger in science, weaker in math, with ELA in a middle range—and with limited public data beyond those scores. The school sits in an area where housing has become expensive and the economy is tied to education and seasonal recreation. The academic program’s breadth and supports are not well documented in available sources, so prospective parents would benefit from visiting, talking to staff, and asking about course offerings, interventions, and how the school addresses the lower math proficiency. For those who prize a small-town, car-dependent setting with deep ties to Bear Lake recreation and a highly homogeneous peer group, Rich Middle School fits that character. Others may want more detailed accountability information before deciding.
See more original research from School Decision →