The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Orion Jr High
Orion Jr High serves roughly seventh through ninth grades in Harrisville, a fast-growing residential suburb northwest of Ogden. The school is part of Weber District, and it draws from a community where families with children make up a large share of households. Housing values in the area sit near the national average for a mid-sized western suburb, and monthly rents are modest relative to local incomes. The area has grown rapidly over recent years, with tight housing supply and ongoing development guided by city planning documents. Many working residents commute outside Harrisville for employment.
The student body is large for a junior high, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the three grades. The majority of students are white, with a Hispanic population of modest size and small shares of other racial and ethnic groups. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that falls below what many schools in the county report. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about the extent of those supports.
On state assessments, Orion Jr High’s proficiency rates are above the midpoint among districts in Weber County when looking across tested subjects. In math, about a third of students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, just under two-fifths were proficient. In science, the share was similar. These numbers place the school in a middle tier compared to other schools in the county, not among the highest but also not among the lower performers. The available data comes from different school years for some subjects, so direct year-to-year comparisons are limited. Participation rates and tested counts were not reported, which is a gap worth noting.
The school does not serve grades that generate a graduation rate, and data on chronic absenteeism was not available. No program offerings, course access information, staffing ratios, or discipline data were provided. A parent interested in the breadth of electives, advanced courses, special education services, or the school climate will need to seek that information from the school or district directly.
Harrisville itself is a low-density, car-dependent suburb without a traditional downtown. The main civic anchor is Martin Henderson Harris Memorial Park, which includes ball fields and tennis courts. For commercial and cultural amenities, residents drive a short distance into Ogden. The district did not provide a brief on recent changes, so nothing about boundary adjustments, program additions, or leadership shifts at the district level was available to include.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a large junior high in a growing, family-oriented suburb with a majority-white student body and a below-average share of low-income families. Academic performance sits in the middle of the county range, with room for improvement across all three tested subjects. The missing data on special populations, staffing, and course access means that a thorough evaluation would require a follow-up conversation with Orion Jr High staff.
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