Best Public Schools in Ephrata, WA

Ephrata, Washington, has seven public schools serving about 2,750 students from prekindergarten through grade 12 through the Ephrata School District. The schools include three elementary schools, two middle-grade programs, a traditional high school, and a small re-engagement program, providing options for families across the city.

Academic results vary by grade and subject. Parkway School has the strongest overall current profile compared with the district, exceeding district averages in English language arts, math, and science; its science proficiency is the highest reported in the area. Grant Elementary has the strongest math result at 45.40% and showed especially notable year-over-year math growth. Columbia Ridge Elementary also performs well in math and has one of the lowest student-teacher ratios. Both larger elementary schools show stronger fourth-grade results than third-grade results, making early-grade English language arts an important area to watch. At the secondary level, math is the clearest challenge, particularly eighth grade at Ephrata Middle School and high school math at Ephrata High School.

Ephrata High School stands out for student persistence: its 92.4% graduation rate is well above the state rate, while its 4.2% dropout rate is below the state figure. Its ranking has also improved over the reported three-year period, although assessment results remain mixed. Sage Hills Open Doors Youth Re-Engagement Program and Beezley Springs Elementary are very small, specialized programs, so their enrollment, spending, and outcomes should not be compared directly with larger neighborhood schools. Overall, families will find the district’s main strengths in graduation outcomes, elementary math, and Parkway’s broad performance, with the greatest improvement opportunities in early-grade English and secondary math.