Washougal School District

The Washougal School District is an above-average, 3-star district in Washington with 8 schools serving about 2,650 students from preschool through 12th grade, including four elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one alternative K-12 academy.

Parents will find the district's middle and high schools to be particular strengths. Jemtegaard Middle School is the district's top-ranked school, and both it and Canyon Creek Middle School excel in science and English. Washougal High School graduates students at a high rate and has exceptional English scores. Among elementary schools, Hathaway Elementary stands out as the highest performer with strong science and reading results, while other elementary schools like Gause Elementary and Columbia River Gorge Elementary School have shown more variability in their performance from year to year.

A key takeaway is the district's significant "math gap"; nearly every school struggles with math proficiency compared to state averages, which is the main academic challenge to address. Interestingly, higher per-student spending at a school does not automatically mean a higher rank, and a school's performance is not strictly tied to its population of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, as seen with Hathaway's success. The district's overall profile is one of solid performance driven by strong secondary schools, but with a need to improve math instruction and create more consistent excellence across all elementary grades.