Enrollment
659
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Richland, WA
Chief Joseph Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Chief Joseph Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530732001250
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chief Joseph Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools.
- #7 of 16
- public schools in Richland · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Washington
- 60.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Chief Joseph Middle School has class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chief Joseph Middle School ranks #7 of 16 public schools in Richland, WA.
School address
District: Richland School District · Washington
NCES ID 530732001250 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chief Joseph Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chief Joseph Middle School
Chief Joseph Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Richland, Washington, enrolling 659 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 659 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 339 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #82.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 220 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Richland School District spends $14,794 per pupil, 24% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Richland's middle schools, it stands alongside Carmichael Middle School (791 students): Chief Joseph Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.4:1 vs 19.3:1).
Richland School District also operates Richland High School (2,218 students) and Hanford High School (1,959 students) alongside Chief Joseph Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Chief Joseph Middle School compares
Chief Joseph Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.5% | ▲ 34% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 659 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
659
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Washington - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,794
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 220 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 60.9%
Hispanic or Latino 26.4%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 2.3%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 60.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Chief Joseph Middle School is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland School District, which includes Chief Joseph Middle School.
$14,794
Per student
-24%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.0%
State 65.7%
Federal 10.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Chief Joseph Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hanford High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leona Libby Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carmichael Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Three Rivers Home Link | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chief Joseph Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,218
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 791
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 37.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar middle schools in Richland
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~659 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chief Joseph Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Chief Joseph Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Richland School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Chief Joseph Middle School
How many students attend Chief Joseph Middle School?
Chief Joseph Middle School has 659 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Richland, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chief Joseph Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chief Joseph Middle School is 19.4:1, which is 10% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chief Joseph Middle School?
60.5% of students at Chief Joseph Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chief Joseph Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Chief Joseph Middle School is White at 60.9% of enrollment, in Richland, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chief Joseph Middle School?
Chief Joseph Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chief Joseph Middle School rank among public schools in Richland?
By Resource Investment Index, Chief Joseph Middle School ranks #7 of 16 public schools in Richland, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Richland on the city page.
Is Chief Joseph Middle School a good school?
Chief Joseph Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Washington schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Richland School District?
Besides Chief Joseph Middle School, Richland School District also operates Richland High School (2,218 students), Hanford High School (1,959 students), and Leona Libby Middle School (805 students). See the Richland School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.