The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on T.h. Bell Jr High
T.H. Bell Jr High sits in Ogden, Utah, as part of the Weber District. It serves grades seven through nine, a three-year span that covers the final years of middle school and the first year of high school. Enrollment runs to several hundred students, making it a mid-sized junior high for its grade band. The school is not a charter, and its Title I status was not reported.
Academic performance on Utah’s RISE assessments places Bell Jr High below the midpoint of districts in Weber County, based on an overall proficiency index that averages results across tested subjects and grades. In math, roughly one in five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, the share was about one in four. In science, it was just under one in five. These figures come from the most recent years of testing, and they represent the school’s standing on state-administered assessments. Because Bell Jr High does not serve twelfth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the material reviewed. A parent may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns and how the school supports students who are behind academically.
The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic minority making up about a quarter of enrollment. Smaller shares of students identify as Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. A little over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of household economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported.
Housing in the area around Bell Jr High reflects the broader Ogden market. Typical home values and rents have both seen modest increases over the past year. For context, national median household income is around the mid-eighties in thousands of dollars, and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been in the mid-six percent range. The cost of buying a home in this part of Weber County is substantially higher than renting, which is typical for many markets nationally. The area’s unemployment rate has been stable around four percent.
Ogden itself is a city of substantial economic activity. It functions as a hub for northern Utah, with a mix of government offices, a revitalized downtown anchored by Historic 25th Street, and a growing set of industries including outdoor recreation, IT and software, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Major employers include the Internal Revenue Service, McKay Dee Hospital, Weber State University, and Autoliv. The city has seen significant revitalization in recent years, with new housing and businesses downtown and the conversion of a former defense depot into a commercial and industrial park. Weber State University provides a major institutional presence, and civic anchors like FrontRunner commuter rail and Ogden-Hinckley Airport connect the city regionally. For families considering Bell Jr High, the broader context is a city that has momentum economically and is investing in its core.
No information was available about specific programs at the school, such as advanced coursework, career and technical education pathways, or extracurricular offerings. The absence of that detail means a parent would need to contact the school directly to learn about what is available for students in these grades.
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