Icicle River Middle School, Leavenworth WA

Original Research by School Decision on Icicle River Middle School

Icicle River Middle School sits in Leavenworth, a small mountain town in Chelan County whose economy runs on tourism and hospitality. The downtown core is built as a Bavarian village, and the town draws a large visitor influx, especially during festivals. The school is part of the Cascade School District, which has seen enrollment decline from pre-pandemic levels and has faced budget challenges in recent years, leading to staff reductions and departmental cuts. Voters in early 2025 approved replacement levies for educational programs and capital projects that will run through the end of the decade, funding salaries, curriculum, technology, facilities, and safety upgrades. The district also instituted a phone-free policy for grades six through twelve starting in the 2024-2025 school year, with phones stored during the school day.

The school serves grades six through eight and enrolls a small student body. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a standard measure of household economic need. The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic share, and very small numbers of students identifying as other race or ethnic groups. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.

State testing results from the most recent school year provide a single-year picture, with no prior year available for comparison. In English language arts, proficiency rates were solid in sixth and seventh grades and softer in eighth grade. Math proficiency showed a clear downward trend across the grades: sixth graders had a strong showing, seventh graders at a moderate level, and eighth graders at a notably lower rate. In science, tested only in eighth grade, just under half of students met the proficiency standard. When compared against other districts in Chelan County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint, though the gap between the district’s top performer and the lowest in the county is wide.

Leavenworth’s housing market is expensive relative to national benchmarks, with home values well above the national median and rents also high. The cost of buying versus renting heavily favors renting; monthly mortgage estimates on a typical home far exceed median rents. This makes the area a challenging market for families looking to buy, though the town’s small permanent population and heavy tourism economy create a distinct housing dynamic.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also missing from the source materials. A parent may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns and what supports exist for students who struggle.

A family considering Icicle River should weigh the school’s academic profile, which is strongest in early middle school literacy and weaker in later middle school math, against the broader district context of enrollment decline and budget tightening. The phone-free policy and the infusion of new levy money may shape the day-to-day experience and long-term programming. The town itself offers a busy tourist-oriented downtown with outdoor recreation access, but the cost of housing is high and the local economy is narrowly focused on hospitality.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 55% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 40% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 68% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 58% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 47% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolCascade School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income89%54 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income84%39 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income83%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income69%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income49%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income92%54 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income77%44 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income64%47 pp gap