Is Cheney Middle School a good school?

Cheney Middle School ranks 16 th of 24 North Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cheney Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 979 students attended Cheney Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Cheney Middle School?

Students at Cheney Middle School are 65% White, 18% African American, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 3% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Cheney Middle School attend?

Students who attend Cheney Middle School usually go on to attend West Fargo High School

Cheney Middle School

Summary:

Cheney Middle School is a public middle school located in West Fargo, North Dakota, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,012 students. The school is part of the West Fargo 6 school district, which is ranked 13 out of 20 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cheney Middle School stands out for its diverse student population, with a higher percentage of African American (18.48%), Hispanic (6.23%), and Native American (4.05%) students compared to nearby Heritage Middle School and Liberty Middle School. However, the school also has a higher dropout rate (3.0% in 2022-2023) and a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate (21.0% in 2022-2023) than its neighbors. Additionally, Cheney Middle School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (42.59% in 2022-2023) and a higher spending per student ($13,364 in 2021-2022) compared to Heritage Middle School and Liberty Middle School.

Academically, Cheney Middle School's performance on NDSA (North Dakota State Assessments) tests is generally on par with or slightly below the West Fargo 6 district and the state averages in mathematics, reading, and science. However, the school ranks higher in the state for its low socioeconomic status students, suggesting that it is effectively supporting this population. Despite this, Cheney Middle School's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating have declined over the past few years, from a high of 7th in the state and 4 stars in 2018-2019 to 16th in the state and 2 stars in 2023-2024, indicating that the school may be facing challenges in maintaining its academic performance and overall quality.

Detail:

Public 6-8

825 17th Ave E
West Fargo, ND 58078

(701) 356-2090

District: West Fargo 6

SchoolDigger Rank:
16^th of 24 North Dakota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,364

Students who attend Cheney Middle School usually attend:

High:

West Fargo High School

Feeder schools for Cheney Middle School:

Elementary:	Eastwood Elementary School
	Harwood Elementary School
	L E Berger Elementary School
	South Elementary School
	More...
	Westside Elementary School
	Willow Park Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.3

Number of students: 979

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.0%

African American:

17.9%

Hispanic:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.9%

See top rated North Dakota middle schools

Compare Cheney Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cheney Middle School ranks worse than 66.7% of middle schools in North Dakota. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the West Fargo 6 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.46. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (65%), African American (17.9%), Hispanic (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the West Fargo 6 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cheney Middle School is 11.3, which is the 2^nd best among 3 middle schools in the West Fargo 6 School District. (See more...)

Compare Cheney Middle School employs 86.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cheney Middle School is $13,364, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the West Fargo 6 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cheney Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cheney Middle School 16^th of 24 North Dakota public middle schools. (See Cheney Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

West Fargo 6:

SchoolDigger ranks West Fargo 6 13^th of 20 North Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Cheney Middle School?

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Rank History for Cheney Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Cheney Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2012	43.85	91^st	124	26.6%
2013	50.72	79^th	135	41.5%
2014	49.15	87^th	136	36.0%
2015	53.43	48^th	109	56.0%
2016	55.05	53^rd	116	54.3%
2017	61.39	13^th	32	59.4%
2018	70.71	4^th	21	81.0%
2019	67.18	7^th	23	69.6%
2021	54.40	13^th	24	45.8%
2022	58.16	11^th	28	60.7%
2023	39.00	16^th	27	40.7%
2024	40.46	16^th	24	33.3%

See the entire list of North Dakota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cheney Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	94.85	1^st	13	92.3%
2019	85.66	2^nd	12	83.3%
2021	65.58	3^rd	6	50.0%
2022	84.96	1^st	3	66.7%
2023	44.83	6^th	12	50.0%
2024	74.28	5^th	11	54.5%

See the entire list of Best North Dakota Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cheney Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	86.50	3^rd	17	82.4%
2019	83.34	5^th	17	70.6%
2021	67.14	8^th	17	52.9%
2022	74.38	6^th	19	68.4%
2023	47.78	12^th	20	40.0%
2024	48.27	12^th	19	36.8%

See the entire list of Best North Dakota Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cheney Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	80.00	4^th	17	76.5%
2019	65.28	5^th	18	72.2%
2021	44.87	10^th	18	44.4%
2022	61.17	9^th	20	55.0%
2023	40.75	12^th	20	40.0%
2024	42.63	12^th	19	36.8%

See the entire list of Best North Dakota Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Cheney Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	80.83	2^nd	18	88.9%
2019	77.83	3^rd	21	85.7%
2021	70.52	5^th	22	77.3%
2022	66.13	4^th	25	84.0%
2023	37.06	15^th	25	40.0%
2024	53.77	11^th	23	52.2%

See the entire list of Best North Dakota Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Cheney Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	901	2	2	6	6	n/a	n/a	917
1989	878	3	4	5	8	n/a	n/a	898
1990	929	4	6	7	10	n/a	n/a	956
1991	945	5	2	6	8	n/a	n/a	966
1992	984	3	3	8	10	n/a	n/a	1008
1993	991	5	4	10	12	n/a	n/a	1022
1994	757	3	3	8	11	n/a	n/a	782
1995	746	3	9	6	8	n/a	n/a	772
1996	746	3	9	6	8	n/a	n/a	772
1997	770	2	2	10	4	n/a	n/a	788
1998	716	3	3	9	8	n/a	n/a	739
1999	762	4	6	7	14	n/a	n/a	793
2000	734	5	4	7	6	n/a	n/a	756
2001	715	3	8	10	28	n/a	n/a	764
2002	762	18	2	9	38	n/a	n/a	829
2003	762	18	2	9	38	n/a	n/a	829
2004	758	25	3	10	27	n/a	n/a	823
2005	1179	48	11	23	35	n/a	n/a	1296
2006	1210	45	14	26	33	n/a	n/a	1328
2007	1255	49	14	25	33	n/a	n/a	1376
2008	1265	57	18	27	33	n/a	n/a	1400
2009	1320	83	29	35	45	n/a	n/a	1512
2010	1075	99	49	35	39	n/a	n/a	1297
2011	1130	94	48	0	27	1	65	1365
2012	1171	91	38	47	27	3	15	1392
2013	1240	118	38	58	24	4	29	1511
2014	830	128	46	37	25	3	22	1091
2015	791	148	47	39	26	4	23	1078
2016	755	162	58	47	27	1	22	1072
2017	769	161	52	58	29	3	18	1090
2018	803	197	42	53	24	1	28	1148
2019	799	185	39	50	17	1	44	1135
2020	786	188	27	51	24	2	51	1129
2021	733	189	35	56	24	0	55	1092
2022	691	177	27	66	33	2	57	1053
2023	643	187	35	63	41	0	43	1012
2024	636	175	30	50	38	2	48	979

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cheney Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	917	44.2	20.7	n/a
1989	898	48.7	18.4	n/a
1990	956	47.1	20.2	n/a
1991	966	46.0	21.0	n/a
1992	1008	41.7	24.1	12
1993	1022	57.1	17.9	12.1
1994	782	46.1	17.0	17.6
1995	772	44.7	17.3	14.4
1996	772	44.7	17.3	14.4
1997	788	46.6	16.9	11.3
1998	739	46.2	16.0	11.2
1999	793	47.5	16.7	10.8
2000	756	49.2	15.4	18.1
2001	764	49.5	15.4	18.2
2002	829	50.0	16.6	22.6
2003	829	50.0	16.6	22.6
2004	823	52.3	15.7	21.6
2005	1296	81.5	15.9	23.1
2006	1328	85.9	15.5	25.8
2007	1376	88.8	15.5	21.9
2008	1400	92.9	15.1	26.3
2009	1512	108.0	14.0	29.7
2010	1297	108.0	12.0	33.7
2011	1365	108.3	12.6	32.2
2012	1392	104.7	13.2	33
2013	1511	106.6	14.1	31.8
2014	1091	86.0	12.6	35.9
2015	1078	83.0	12.9	36
2016	1072	98.0	10.9	38.7
2017	1090	96.1	11.3	38.3
2018	1148	86.2	13.3	39.2
2019	1135	89.5	12.6	38.4
2020	1129	86.7	13.0	38.2
2021	1092	89.9	12.1	39.6
2022	1053	89.9	11.7	32.1
2023	1012	87.9	11.5	42.6
2024	979	86.2	11.3	41.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cheney Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	917	44.2	20.7	n/a
1989	898	48.7	18.4	n/a
1990	956	47.1	20.2	n/a
1991	966	46.0	21.0	n/a
1992	1008	41.7	24.1	12
1993	1022	57.1	17.9	12.1
1994	782	46.1	17.0	17.6
1995	772	44.7	17.3	14.4
1996	772	44.7	17.3	14.4
1997	788	46.6	16.9	11.3
1998	739	46.2	16.0	11.2
1999	793	47.5	16.7	10.8
2000	756	49.2	15.4	18.1
2001	764	49.5	15.4	18.2
2002	829	50.0	16.6	22.6
2003	829	50.0	16.6	22.6
2004	823	52.3	15.7	21.6
2005	1296	81.5	15.9	23.1
2006	1328	85.9	15.5	25.8
2007	1376	88.8	15.5	21.9
2008	1400	92.9	15.1	26.3
2009	1512	108.0	14.0	29.7
2010	1297	108.0	12.0	33.7
2011	1365	108.3	12.6	32.2
2012	1392	104.7	13.2	33
2013	1511	106.6	14.1	31.8
2014	1091	86.0	12.6	35.9
2015	1078	83.0	12.9	36
2016	1072	98.0	10.9	38.7
2017	1090	96.1	11.3	38.3
2018	1148	86.2	13.3	39.2
2019	1135	89.5	12.6	38.4
2020	1129	86.7	13.0	38.2
2021	1092	89.9	12.1	39.6
2022	1053	89.9	11.7	32.1
2023	1012	87.9	11.5	42.6
2024	979	86.2	11.3	41.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cheney Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$751 (6.3%)	$11,206 (93.7%)	$11,957
2020	$762 (6.3%)	$11,427 (93.7%)	$12,189
2021	$1,645 (12.3%)	$11,730 (87.7%)	$13,375
2022	$1,243 (9.3%)	$12,121 (90.7%)	$13,364

Data source: North Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cheney Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 7^th of 23 Middle schools	Ranks 16^th of 27 Middle schools	28.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Cheney Middle School)	50	45	5%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Fargo 6)	51	38	13%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	47	41	6%
6th Grade Reading (Cheney Middle School)	54	46	8%
6th Grade Reading (West Fargo 6)	53	43	10%
6th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	49	50	1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Cheney Middle School)	45	36	9%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Fargo 6)	49	36	13%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	40	38	2%
7th Grade Reading (Cheney Middle School)	50	38	12%
7th Grade Reading (West Fargo 6)	53	36	17%
7th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Cheney Middle School)	62	33	29%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Fargo 6)	57	29	28%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	47	35	12%
8th Grade Reading (Cheney Middle School)	63	42	21%
8th Grade Reading (West Fargo 6)	62	41	21%
8th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	51	48	3%
8th Grade Science (Cheney Middle School)	64	48	16%
8th Grade Science (West Fargo 6)	63	40	23%
8th Grade Science (North Dakota)	63	48	15%
All Grades Mathematics (Cheney Middle School)	52	37	15%
All Grades Mathematics (West Fargo 6)	52	40	12%
All Grades Mathematics (North Dakota)	45	39	6%
All Grades Reading (Cheney Middle School)	56	42	14%
All Grades Reading (West Fargo 6)	53	42	11%
All Grades Reading (North Dakota)	47	44	3%
All Grades Science (Cheney Middle School)	64	48	16%
All Grades Science (West Fargo 6)	62	44	18%
All Grades Science (North Dakota)	62	45	17%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1135	1012	10.8%
African American	185	187	1.1%
American Indian	17	41	141.2%
Asian	39	35	10.3%
Hispanic	50	63	26%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	799	643	19.5%
Two or More Races	44	43	2.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38.4%	42.6%	4.2%

Schools Near Cheney Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NDSA Mathematics (2024)				NDSA Reading (2024)				NDSA Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NDSA Mathematics 6th Grade	NDSA Mathematics 7th Grade	NDSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NDSA Mathematics All Grades	NDSA Reading 6th Grade	NDSA Reading 7th Grade	NDSA Reading 8th Grade	NDSA Reading All Grades	NDSA Science 8th Grade	NDSA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cheney Middle School	Public	6-8	825 17th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2090	979	86	11.3	41.9%	636 (65.0%)	175 (17.9%)	50 (5.1%)	30 (3.1%)	38 (3.9%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (4.9%)	40.5	16^th of 24 public middle schools	33.3%		39	16^th of 27 public middle schools	40.7%		45.0	41.0	36.0	41.0	46.0	47.0	42.0	44.0	40.0	40.0	$13,364	$1,243	$12,121
West Fargo Middle Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-8	207 Main Ave W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 356-2001	9				2 (22.2%)	4 (44.4%)	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)								(n/a)											$6,522	$2,362	$4,160
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	801 36th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2671	1,070	106	10.1	22.4%	730 (68.2%)	178 (16.6%)	58 (5.4%)	42 (3.9%)	20 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.9%)	55.1	12^th of 24 public middle schools	50.0%		18.2	22^nd of 27 public middle schools	18.5%	10	45.0	46.0	34.0	42.0	47.0	49.0	48.0	48.0	50.0	50.0	$11,885	$849	$11,037
Carl Ben Eielson Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 13th Ave S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-1700	639	59	10.8	42.3%	373 (58.4%)	113 (17.7%)	67 (10.5%)	22 (3.4%)	23 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.3%)	24.8	20^th of 24 public middle schools	16.7%		36.6	17^th of 27 public middle schools	37.0%	3		37.0		30.0				42.0			$15,255	$1,833	$13,422
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	1717 40th Ave S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-3300	1,005	77	13.0	26.6%	644 (64.1%)	194 (19.3%)	57 (5.7%)	43 (4.3%)	19 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (4.7%)	78.8	3^rd of 24 public middle schools	87.5%		76.5	5^th of 27 public middle schools	81.5%	2	43.0	51.0	53.0	48.0	49.0	55.0	64.0	56.0	55.0	55.0	$13,686	$1,539	$12,147
Ben Franklin Middle School	Public	6-8	1420 8th St N	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-3600	899	72	12.4	30.9%	663 (73.7%)	68 (7.6%)	69 (7.7%)	25 (2.8%)	23 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.7%)	62.8	7^th of 24 public middle schools	70.8%		56.5	11^th of 27 public middle schools	59.3%	4	44.0	45.0	43.0	45.0	53.0	43.0	52.0	49.0	51.0	51.0	$14,221	$1,816	$12,406
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	6350 76th Ave S	Horace	58047	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-5910	754	55	13.6	12.2%	642 (85.1%)	42 (5.6%)	19 (2.5%)	11 (1.5%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	32 (4.2%)	46.6	13^th of 24 public middle schools	45.8%		24.3	19^th of 27 public middle schools	29.6%	6	49.0	43.0	38.0	43.0	46.0	33.0	41.0	40.0	51.0	51.0	$10,488	$855	$9,634
Central Cass Middle School	Public	5-8	802 5th St N	Casselton	58012	Cass County	Central Cass 17	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 347-5352	338	19	17.6	12.7%	322 (95.3%)	4 (1.2%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	78.1	5^th of 24 public middle schools	79.2%		88	2^nd of 27 public middle schools	92.6%	3				48.0				64.0			$10,594	$606	$9,989

Cheney Middle School

Cheney Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

West Fargo 6:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cheney Middle School

Rank History for all students at Cheney Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cheney Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Cheney Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Cheney Middle School

Rank History for White students at Cheney Middle School

Enrollment information for Cheney Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cheney Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Cheney Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cheney Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Cheney Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cheney Middle School