The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Science. The lowest is 35% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Frontier Middle School
Frontier Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade as part of the Evergreen School District in Clark County, located in Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver is a mid-sized, fast-growing city that blends historic downtown areas with extensive suburban development, and sits within the Portland metropolitan area. The school draws from the east side of Vancouver, a largely auto-dependent suburban area where newer subdivisions and commercial corridors dominate. A significant bond measure passed in the district recently funded a wave of school rebuilds and upgrades, with construction completed through 2024. That modernization investment has a lasting impact on families, as it touched facilities across the district, including at the middle school level.
The school’s enrollment is sizable for a middle school serving only three grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who are Asian, two or more races, Black, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a mix of middle-income and lower-income households.
State testing results from the most recent assessment year place Frontier in a difficult position relative to its peers. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades fell in the bottom quartile among districts in Clark County. In both math and English language arts, proficiency rates across the three grade levels fell below many of the district and county comparisons that would be visible to families. In math, reported proficiency was in the low-to-mid range depending on grade, while in English language arts proficiency was in a similar range. Science results for eighth graders were roughly comparable. Because the data shows only a single year of testing results, there is no trend line to assess whether performance is improving or declining. A parent may want to discuss with the school what instructional strategies and support programs are in place to raise achievement.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. That is a structural feature of the grade band rather than a gap in available information. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and course access was not available in the provided information. Similarly, information on special education enrollment and English learner populations was not reported. A family concerned about student support services might want to follow up with the school directly.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It does not appear to have Title I status information reported, though the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch suggests the school likely serves a population that would qualify for federal support programs. No information about specific programs or academic pathways was available for the narrative.
The broader context of the district and the city matters for families considering this school. The district’s recent facility investments mean that the physical plant at Frontier is likely more modern than what families might find in districts that have not passed a major bond. Vancouver’s rapid growth, including annexation proposals that could significantly expand the city, means that enrollment and community composition could shift over time. The housing market shows that home values in the area, while not the highest in the state, require a notable share of household income for a typical mortgage payment, and renting is somewhat more affordable than buying at current rates.
Frontier Middle School is a mid-sized suburban middle school that serves a diverse and economically mixed student body. Its state test results are weaker than many other schools in the county, a pattern that families will want to explore further with the school. The district’s investment in facilities is a practical benefit, and the school’s location in a growing part of a growing city means that the community around it is in flux. For a family weighing options, the academic performance picture is the central point worth investigating in depth.
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