Summary
Mary M. Knight School is a small alternative school near Elma, Washington, serving 184 students from prekindergarten through grade 12 in the Mary M Knight School District. The school serves a relatively high-need student population, with 65.76% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25. Its student-teacher ratio was 10.2 to 1, offering a relatively small-school setting and a ratio similar to nearby Wishkah Valley Elementary/High School.
Academic performance is the main area of concern. In 2025–26, 28.57% of students were proficient in English language arts, 21.85% in math, and 32.73% in science—well below Washington averages of 52.81%, 43.11%, and 50.95%. Grade 3 math was a relative bright spot, with 50% proficiency, close to the statewide rate. However, math results in grades 5, 8, and 10 were much lower. Compared with Wishkah Valley, Mary M. Knight scored lower in all three subjects, especially science, where the difference was 19.90 percentage points. Some grade-level results were suppressed because the groups were small, so those figures are unknown rather than zero.
Historical graduation rates were fairly steady at about 80%–82%, but reported dropout rates of 15%–20% were higher than statewide results in the years available. The school also reported higher per-student spending in 2023–24—$34,703—than Wishkah Valley and Eagle Virtual Sky Academy, although spending alone does not guarantee stronger outcomes. Eagle Virtual’s virtual format and suppressed math and science results make it a less direct comparison. The Mary M Knight School District ranked around the 13th percentile statewide, suggesting broader district challenges. Families may want to ask about math and literacy interventions, attendance, course completion, dropout prevention, and the supports available across the school’s wide grade span.
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