Vanguard Academy

Vanguard Academy is a small public high school serving grades 9–12 in Moses Lake, Washington, with 387 students. Located in central Washington and part of the Moses Lake School District, the school serves a moderately high-need student population, with 60.21% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25. Vanguard ranked 320th out of 396 Washington high schools in 2025–26, placing it at the 19th percentile, although its ranking has varied considerably in recent years.

Vanguard’s strongest academic area is English language arts, where 42.37% of students were proficient in 2025–26—above the district’s 38.85%, though below the state’s 52.81%. Mathematics is the clearest concern: only 10% of students were proficient, compared with 31.43% in the district and 43.11% statewide. Science performance was 39.29%, slightly below the district and well below the state; the drop from 55.47% in 2024–25 suggests that results can fluctuate significantly from year to year. Compared with the larger Moses Lake High School, Vanguard trailed in ELA, math, and science, as well as graduation. Its 80.0% graduation rate was below the district’s 84.4% and state’s 82.6%, but higher than rates reported for some nearby re-engagement programs.

For families considering Vanguard, the main questions are how effectively the school can strengthen math instruction, support credit completion, and produce more consistent results across student groups and years. The school’s reported per-student spending was $23,210 in 2023–24, higher than the nearby comparison schools listed, but spending alone has not translated into strong academic outcomes. Vanguard has shown signs of potential, including a substantial improvement from its 10th-percentile ranking in 2022–23 and a strong science result in 2024–25. Still, the latest data point to a need for sustained math intervention, stronger graduation supports, and close attention to outcomes for students facing economic challenges.