Summary:
Port Townsend, Washington, has four public schools serving approximately 1,277 students from prekindergarten through grade 12 through the Port Townsend School District. The schools include the K–5 Salish Coast Elementary, grades 6–8 Blue Heron Middle School, grades 9–12 Port Townsend High School, and the alternative K–12 Ocean. Together, they offer a relatively small-school setting, with enrollment ranging from 144 students at Ocean to 528 at Salish Coast.
Port Townsend High School is the strongest overall performer in the available data. It ranks in the upper tier statewide, has a 93.1% graduation rate—well above both the district and state—and reports especially strong science proficiency at 68.49%. Salish Coast Elementary stands out for mathematics and science: 46.37% of students were proficient in math and 63.16% in science, both strong compared with local results. Blue Heron Middle School has improved its statewide ranking and ELA performance, but math is a significant concern, with only 31.22% proficient overall and 25.35% in eighth grade.
Ocean serves a distinct alternative-school population and should not be compared directly with traditional schools in every respect. It recorded the largest year-over-year gains, including a 19.37-point increase in science, although its math proficiency remains below district and state levels. Science is the clearest strength across the area: every school exceeded the statewide comparison in 2025–2026. Mathematics is the main districtwide challenge, particularly during the transition into middle school. Families should also note that some results are suppressed, especially for Ocean and the high school, so unavailable figures should not be interpreted as zero or poor performance.
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