Summary:
Kiona-Benton City School District has three public schools serving about 1,395 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade in the Kiona-Benton City area of Washington: Kiona-Benton City Elementary, Kiona-Benton City Middle School, and Kiona-Benton City High School. The elementary school is the largest, with 620 students, followed by the high school with 435 and the middle school with 340.
Overall, academic performance is well below Washington averages, although the schools differ considerably. The high school is the district’s relative bright spot, ranking 350th of 396 Washington high schools and performing best in English language arts, with 39.36% of students proficient. It also improved its statewide ranking over the past three reported years. However, math remains a major challenge, with only 12.36% proficient, and the graduation rate of 77.4% is below the state’s 82.6%. The elementary school has mixed results: its 18.15% math proficiency rate is the district’s strongest among schools, and third-grade math reaches 29.67%, but overall ELA and science proficiency remain low. Its ranking improved to the 5th percentile in 2025–26, though it remains in the lower statewide tier.
The middle school is the most urgent area for improvement, ranking 512th of 514 schools and placing in the 0th percentile statewide. Only 14.71% of students are proficient in ELA, 7.24% in math, and 18.92% in science; math falls to just 6.31% in eighth grade. Compared with the elementary school, achievement drops sharply during the transition into middle grades, making math readiness, instructional coordination, and student support important priorities. Across the district, math is the weakest subject, while science is comparatively stronger but still below state expectations. Parents may also note that school rankings provide useful context but do not capture every factor affecting students, such as programs, attendance, staffing experience, or school climate.
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