Ridgeline Middle School

Ridgeline Middle School is a moderately sized middle school in Yelm, Washington, one of the schools within Yelm School District. The school instructs 568 students in grades 6 through 8.

Within Yelm School District, which oversees 10 schools and 5,671 students, Ridgeline Middle School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Ridgeline Middle School lists that White students make up the majority at 63%. Beyond that, the school logs 18% Hispanic, 14% multiracial. By comparison, Thurston County as a whole is about 72% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 20.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 18.9:1, putting Ridgeline Middle School higher than the state norm the norm. Around 47% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Ridgeline Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.2%.

In the surrounding community, Thurston County reports that the typical household earns roughly $96,563 per year, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Across Thurston County's 86 public schools (combined enrollment of about 44,412 students), Ridgeline Middle School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Mill Pond Elementary School, roughly 0.2 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), Ridgeline Middle School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 48.0%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ridgeline Middle School has contracted 6%, going from 603 students in 2018 to 568 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 69% to 63% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Ridgeline Middle School typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.