Chief Joseph Middle School

Set in Richland, Washington, Chief Joseph Middle School is a medium-sized junior high, operated by Richland School District. It educates 659 students across grades 6 through 8.

Across the 22 schools in Richland School District (14,410 students total), Chief Joseph Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Chief Joseph Middle School reports that the largest single group is White, at 61% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 26% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 2% Asian. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 70%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.8:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 58% of students at Chief Joseph Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Benton County runs at roughly 49%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

In the broader community, Benton County reports that median household earnings sit near $89,874, 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Chief Joseph Middle School is one of 69 public schools in Benton County (combined enrollment of about 38,191 students).

The closest other public school is Jefferson Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Chief Joseph Middle School.

Geographically, the school is in a city-core area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Chief Joseph Middle School has decreased 13%, going from 757 students in 2018 to 659 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 68% to 61% over that span.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Chief Joseph Middle School typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.