The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Toledo Middle School
Toledo Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Toledo School District, a small rural district in Lewis County, Washington. The school is located in the town of Toledo, a very small community on the Cowlitz River that calls itself the Gateway to Mt. St. Helens. The town has a dairy-farming heritage, celebrated annually with Cheese Days, and has seen recent investment in its downtown through a volunteer initiative that added murals, public art, and broadband. The school itself sits within this compact town, not on a separated campus, and the district recently completed a major high school reconstruction project that opened in 2021.
The middle school is a regular public school serving grades six through eight. Its enrollment is small, and the student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population making up a modest share and very small numbers of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native or as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a meaningful portion of families face economic challenges. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
On state assessments, Toledo Middle School's proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science fall below the midpoint among districts in Lewis County. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county. In math, proficiency rates across grades six, seven, and eight are all in a similar range, with roughly a quarter of students meeting the state standard. English language arts results are somewhat higher, with the share of students meeting the standard rising from grade six through grade eight. Science, tested only in grade eight, shows a proficiency rate in a similar range to math. These are the most recent results available, and the data covers only a single year, so no trend can be established. A parent may want to ask the school about academic supports and how the school works with students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks.
The school is part of the Toledo School District, which also includes an elementary school and a high school. The district recently completed a major capital project: a new high school, built on the existing site and opened in 2021, with completion in 2022. That investment signals community commitment to its school facilities. No other recent district-level capital projects or strategic initiatives were found in publicly available sources.
Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to the state. Home values in the zip code are below the Washington state benchmark, and the national price-to-income ratio suggests that homeownership requires a substantial share of household income. The town has seen population growth in recent years, and the district's new high school reflects a community that has invested in its school infrastructure.
For a family considering Toledo Middle School, the picture is straightforward. This is a small rural middle school serving a predominantly white student body, with a notable share of students from lower-income households. Academic proficiency on state assessments is below the county median, and the school sits in the bottom quartile among Lewis County districts on overall proficiency. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. A parent considering this school may want to ask about the specific academic interventions and supports in place, particularly in math and science, where proficiency rates are lower than in English language arts. The school's small size means that class sizes are likely modest, and the community context is one of a tight-knit rural town that has shown it can rally around school investments, as evidenced by the new high school. For a family that values a small, community-anchored school in a rural setting and is prepared to engage with the school on academic support, Toledo Middle School fits that profile.
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