Summary:
Zip code 98948 has eight schools serving about 3,488 students from elementary through high school, primarily in the Toppenish School District. The area has high economic need, with free- or reduced-price lunch participation generally ranging from about 80% to 94%; the Yakama Nation Tribal School reports 98.03%. Overall test rankings are below the Washington average, but performance varies meaningfully among schools. Parents should also note that some results, especially for the tribal school and Computer Academy, are unavailable rather than evidence of low performance.
Lincoln Elementary School has the strongest recent elementary academic profile, leading the local elementary schools in math and science and improving in all three tested subjects. Its ranking rose to the 19th percentile statewide. Valley View Elementary had the second-highest elementary math result and made notable math gains, while Kirkwood Elementary School had relatively favorable staffing conditions but lower achievement. Garfield Elementary School had the lowest elementary math result and substantial declines in math and science, despite having the smallest student-teacher ratio. These differences suggest that families should consider the specific school, not just districtwide averages.
Toppenish High School presents a mixed picture: its 98.2% graduation rate is exceptional compared with the district and state, but its math and science proficiency rates are weak, particularly math at 10.21%. Toppenish Middle School is close to district results overall, although math remains a concern. The most urgent warning signs are at Computer Academy Toppenish High School, where graduation was 49%, dropout was 19.6%, and the student-teacher ratio was 28. The Yakama Nation Tribal School serves grades 8–12, but comparable outcome data was not reported.
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