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Bess Herian Elementary

Q: Is Bess Herian Elementary a good school?

Bess Herian Elementary ranks 565 th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

565^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Bess Herian Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 134 students in the rural Cusick School District, and it stands out as a remarkable success story, having dramatically improved from one of the lowest-ranked schools in the state a decade ago to an above-average performer today.

The school excels at supporting its students, many of whom face economic challenges, ranking exceptionally high for its effectiveness with this group. This improvement coincides with significantly higher per-student spending compared to nearby schools like Gess Elementary and Stratton Elementary, which have seen more stable performance. While Bess Herian's overall test scores in English and math now exceed the Cusick School District average, it shows a notable strength in early-grade math that dips sharply in fifth grade, a pattern more pronounced than at the comparison schools.

Despite its impressive turnaround, the school faces specific challenges, including a significant performance gap between female and male students and year-to-year consistency in some subjects. However, its trajectory from the bottom percentile to the 51st percentile statewide demonstrates what is possible with focused effort, making it a compelling example of improvement in rural education.

134

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,821

Per pupil spending ?

71.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

305 Monumental Way
Cusick, WA 99119

(509) 445-0361

District: Cusick School District

Students who attend Bess Herian Elementary usually attend:

High:

Cusick Junior Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.8%

Two or more races:

26.1%

American Indian:

17.2%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Bess Herian Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 19th percentile in 2013 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 32 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the Washington median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg40%

Washington avg48%

565^th of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 50 pts since 2015

From bottom 1% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

137^th of 247Cusick School District among Washington districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	49.1	565 of 1160	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.4	705 of 1168	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.9	843 of 1169	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.2	909 of 1169	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	938 of 1130	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	989 of 1054	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	15.0	936 of 1056	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	7.7	1007 of 1053	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	3.0	1055 of 1067	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	25.6	897 of 1106	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	53.5	547 of 1097	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	24.9	899 of 1092	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	19.6	949 of 1088	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	20.3	913 of 1072	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	22.5	895 of 1067	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.0	882 of 1069	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	25.0	856 of 1051	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	19.0	880 of 1031	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	27.1	802 of 1026	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	49.7	521 of 1092	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.8	539 of 1093	50.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	79.0	127 of 1013	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	55.7	430 of 1024	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.3	491 of 1013	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.1	616 of 1019	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.8	801 of 979	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	27.5	814 of 1099	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.0	632 of 1099	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.9	880 of 1075	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	31.3	733 of 1007	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	766 of 1009	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	900 of 1011	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	982 of 1031	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)87th percentile+36 vs school

Female (2025)52nd percentile~ school

White (2025)27th percentile-24 vs school

Male (2024)26th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts54%~ state avg

Math45%~ state avg

Science43%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bess Herian Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)					SBAC Math (2025)					% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bess Herian Elementary	Public	K-5	305 Monumental Way	Cusick	99119	Pend Oreille County	Cusick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 445-0361	134	9	14.1	71.6%	56 (41.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (13.4%)	1 (0.7%)	23 (17.2%)	1 (0.7%)	35 (26.1%)	49.1	565^th of 1160 public elementary schools	51.3%		38.4	705^th of 1168 public elementary schools	39.6%	140	43.5	43.5	54.6	63.6	43.5		53.7	54.6	59.1	21.7		44.8	79.0	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	$27,821	$1,962	$25,859
Kalispel Language Immersion School	Public	K-8	305 Monumental Way	Cusick	99119	Pend Oreille County	Cusick School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 447-7461	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																							$16,458	$01	$16,457
Stratton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1201 W. 5th Street	Newport	99156	Pend Oreille County	Newport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 447-0656	399	32	12.5	68.7%	362 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	38.3	705^th of 1160 public elementary schools	39.2%		25.9	883^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	24.4%	178			30.1	58.9			44.5	35.6	47.2			41.4	67.6	73.0	79.7	79.7	79.7	71.6	87.8	74.3	71.6	71.6	$18,970	$2,505	$16,465
Gess Elementary	Public	K-6	405 E Lincoln	Chewelah	99109	Stevens County	Chewelah School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 685-6800	324	22	14.5	57.7%	286 (88.3%)	3 (0.9%)	18 (5.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.4%)	38.8	701^st of 1160 public elementary schools	39.6%		37.8	710^th of 1168 public elementary schools	39.2%	9	58.8	58.8	36.4	31.3	54.2	51.9	44.4	50.9	29.0	28.6	37.3	37.6	63.3	71.4	77.6	77.6	77.6	63.3	79.6	75.5	63.3	63.3	$16,905	$2,583	$14,321

Frequently Asked Questions about Bess Herian Elementary

How many students attend Bess Herian Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 134 students attended Bess Herian Elementary.

Is Bess Herian Elementary a good school?

Bess Herian Elementary ranks 565^th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Bess Herian Elementary in?

Cusick School District

What schools do graduates of Bess Herian Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bess Herian Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Cusick Junior Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Bess Herian Elementary?

Students at Bess Herian Elementary are 42% White, 26% Two or more races, 17% American Indian, 13% Hispanic.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.