Summary
Rowena Chess Elementary is a PK–5 school in Pasco, Washington, serving about 436 students in an area where many families face significant economic challenges. In 2024–25, 91.06% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. The school had 14.3 students per teacher, a ratio broadly similar to nearby elementary schools. It spent $18,858 per student in 2023–24, which was relatively high compared with several neighboring schools. Rowena is part of the Pasco School District, which ranked near the bottom statewide; Rowena itself ranked in approximately the 3rd percentile among Washington schools.
Academic results are the most important concern. In 2025–26, 10.15% of students were proficient in English language arts, 8.63% in math, and 12.12% in science. These results were well below both district and state averages, and Rowena generally had the lowest scores among nearby comparable schools. For example, Robert Frost Elementary, which has a similar economic profile, reported proficiency rates of 28.22% in English language arts, 21.58% in math, and 19.05% in science. Emerson Elementary and Captain Gray STEM Elementary also posted higher results in all three subjects. Rowena’s latest scores improved in English language arts and science from the prior year, but math declined slightly, so the data do not yet show a broad turnaround.
There are a few encouraging details. Third-grade math proficiency was 24.62%, the strongest reported grade-subject result, and the English-language-learner subgroup rose to the 12th percentile statewide. However, fourth-grade English language arts and fourth- and fifth-grade math results were suppressed by the state to protect privacy; these figures are unknown, not zero. Nearby Mark Twain Elementary was notably stronger, especially in math, although it serves a less economically disadvantaged population. Overall, Rowena’s results suggest a need for broad support in foundational reading, mathematics, science, and consistent instruction across grades.
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