Best Public Schools in Vancouver, WA

The city of Vancouver, Washington is home to a diverse array of 92 schools, spanning elementary, middle, and high school grades across several school districts, including the Vancouver School District, Evergreen School District (Clark), and Battle Ground School District. The data reveals stark contrasts in academic performance, with standout schools like Vancouver School of Arts and Academics and Vancouver iTech Preparatory boasting exceptional test scores, while others like Fort Vancouver High School and Discovery Middle School struggle, with less than 30% of 10th graders proficient in Math.

The data suggests a correlation between a school's socioeconomic status, as measured by free and reduced lunch rates, and its academic performance. Schools with higher poverty rates, such as Fruit Valley Elementary School (87.37%) and Washington Elementary (83.46%), tend to have lower test scores compared to more affluent schools like Felida Elementary School (18.96%) and Benjamin Franklin Elementary (26.1%). This disparity is evident even within the same school districts, highlighting the challenges faced by schools serving disadvantaged communities.

The data also reveals unique challenges for alternative and special needs schools, such as Northwest Allprep, Home Choice Academy, and Washington State School for the Deaf, which tend to have lower graduation rates, higher dropout rates, and lower test scores compared to the general population. This underscores the importance of targeted support and resources for these specialized institutions.