Darrington School District

Darrington School District has two schools serving 464 students in the Darrington area: Darrington Elementary School, which serves prekindergarten through eighth grade, and Darrington High School, which serves grades 9–12. There is no separately listed middle school, so the elementary school also serves the district’s middle-grade students. About three-quarters of students attend the elementary school, while the high school enrolls 113 students.

Darrington High School is the stronger-performing school overall. It ranked in the 52nd percentile statewide in 2025–26 and received three stars, compared with the elementary school’s 9th-percentile ranking and zero stars. High school ELA proficiency was 50%, close to the Washington rate of 52.81%, and science proficiency was 63.64%, above the state rate of 50.95%. The high school’s ranking also improved from the prior year. However, math was weak at 21.88%, and ELA and math declined year over year. Its small enrollment means annual percentages can change substantially when only a few students’ results differ. Families should also note that the available graduation and dropout figures are from 2021–22 rather than the most recent academic year.

Darrington Elementary School is the district’s main area of concern, with 22.28% proficiency in ELA, 20.97% in math, and 32.69% in science. All three results were below Washington averages, and elementary ELA was especially low in fourth and seventh grades. Science improved from the prior year, but ELA and math declined. Math is the clearest districtwide challenge because both schools performed near 21%, compared with 43.11% statewide. The most important priorities appear to be strengthening math across all grades, improving elementary literacy, and identifying whether the high school’s strong science practices can be sustained or adapted for younger students.