Highland School District

Highland School District serves about 1,060 students in four schools covering pre-K through 12th grade: two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The district includes Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary for pre-K–2, Tieton Elementary School for grades 3–5, Highland Middle School for grades 6–8, and Highland High School for grades 9–12. About 70% of students are estimated to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so families should consider both academic results and the level of student support available.

Tieton Elementary School has the strongest overall elementary academic profile. It exceeded district averages in English language arts, math, and science, and its 44.9% math proficiency rate was slightly above the state average. Its statewide percentile ranking also improved substantially over three years. Results were strongest in third grade, while math performance declined by fifth grade, making continued support during the later elementary years important. Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary serves younger children and has no comparable assessment results in the supplied data, but it reports the district’s highest spending per student and a favorable 16.9-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

Highland High School stands out for English language arts and graduation: 67.5% of students were proficient in ELA, and the graduation rate was 92%. However, math proficiency was only 17.7%, making math and science key concerns despite the strong graduation result. Highland Middle School is the district’s greatest academic concern, ranking in the 14th percentile statewide and reporting especially low math results, including 11.0% proficiency in eighth grade. Overall, families may see the district’s main strengths in Tieton’s elementary math and the high school’s ELA and graduation outcomes, while mathematics, middle-school achievement, and transitions between grade levels are the most important improvement priorities.