Summary:
Mattawa, Washington is served by six public schools within the Wahluke School District, educating about 2,300 students from elementary through high school in a community where over 90% of students typically qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
When comparing schools, Wahluke High School stands out as the strongest performer, with a 90.3% graduation rate that beats the state average and the district's best test scores, showing significant improvement in its statewide ranking. In contrast, the three elementary schools—Saddle Mountain Elementary, Morris Schott Elementary, and Mattawa Elementary—have much lower test scores, particularly in foundational reading and math, despite generally having higher per-student spending. Sentinel Technical Alt School, an alternative school, serves a very small population with the district's lowest funding and highest student-teacher ratio, resulting in lower graduation rates.
Overall, the district's academic proficiency is below state averages, but the success at the high school level indicates effective support for older students. The wide variation in per-student spending across schools does not show a clear link to better outcomes, suggesting other factors are at play. For parents, the data highlights a notable performance gap between the elementary schools and the comprehensive high school, with Wahluke Junior High serving as the bridge between them.
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