Bess Herian Elementary

Bess Herian Elementary is a small K–5 school in Cusick, Washington, serving 134 students in the rural Cusick School District. The school has made a notable turnaround: its statewide ranking rose from the 1st percentile in 2014–15 to the 65th percentile in 2025–26, and its rating improved to 3 stars. Because enrollment is small, results can shift from year to year as class sizes and student groups change, but the longer-term trend is clearly positive.

Math is Bess Herian’s strongest academic area. In 2025–26, 59.02% of students reached proficiency in math, compared with 37.27% at Gess Elementary, 48.67% at Stratton Elementary, and 43.11% statewide. Bess exceeded Washington’s rate in every tested grade, including 72.22% proficiency in third grade. Science was also strong at 57.14%, above the state rate and Gess. English Language Arts proficiency was 49.18%, higher than both nearby schools but slightly below the statewide rate of 52.81%. Fourth-grade ELA was the main area needing attention, at 40.91%, while third-grade ELA was stronger than the state.

The school serves a relatively high-need population: 71.64% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25. Despite that, its low-income subgroup ranked at the 88th percentile statewide in 2025–26, a notable sign of effectiveness with economically disadvantaged students. Bess also reported substantially higher per-student spending than Gess and Stratton, although spending alone does not explain the school’s gains. Overall, Bess stands out among these comparison schools for its recent ranking growth, strong math and science results, and local academic leadership. Continued attention to reading—especially fourth grade—would help balance its profile.