Swanson Middle

Set in Arlington, Virginia, Swanson Middle is a mid-sized 6-8 campus, part of Arlington County Public Schools. It hosts 993 students across grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Virginia's public schools average about 750 students each, so Swanson Middle sits 32% bigger than that benchmark.

Within Arlington County Public Schools, which oversees 36 schools and 27,950 students, Swanson Middle is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Swanson Middle reports that 53% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 23% Hispanic, 9% multiracial, 8% Asian, 6% Black.

On the income-and-resources front, Swanson Middle reports 70 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.1:1, putting Swanson Middle higher than the state norm the norm. Around 20% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Arlington County (around 31%), the school's rate is south of typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Swanson Middle performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 82.7%, the actual is 82.6%, a residual of -0.0 points.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Arlington County) logs that median household earnings sit near $142,114, 77% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Arlington County runs 42 public schools (combined enrollment of about 27,950 students), of which Swanson Middle is one.

The closest other public school is Cardinal Elementary, roughly 0.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Swanson Middle ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 83.6%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Swanson Middle has decreased 24%, going from 1,305 students in 2018 to 993 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 66% to 53%.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.