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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 99161

At a glance

School

100

Students

Summary:

ZIP code 99161 has one elementary school, Palouse Elementary, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the small Palouse community and enrolling about 100 students.

For families considering elementary education in this area, Palouse Elementary is the only local option in the ZIP code, so there are no nearby within-ZIP schools to compare. The school’s recent statewide ranking is a notable strength: it rose from 680th place and the 42nd percentile in 2022–2023 to 344th place and the 70th percentile in 2024–2025, while improving from a two-star to a four-star rating. In 2024–2025, 66.67% of students met standards in English Language Arts, 68.89% in math, and 52.63% in science. These results were above Washington’s averages in all three subjects. Math was especially strong, exceeding the state by 26.26 percentage points and the Palouse School District by 18.89 points.

The school’s ELA result was also well above the state average, although it was slightly below the district result. Science was close to both district and state performance, making it the clearest area for continued improvement. A reported student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1 may support individualized attention, while 47% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, providing useful economic context. Per-student spending was $23,483 in 2023–2024, which may reflect the costs of operating a small school and providing staffing and services to a limited enrollment. School-level assessment results for 2025–2026 are suppressed, so current performance cannot yet be confirmed; the missing figures should not be interpreted as zeroes or poor results.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palouse Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 E Alder Street	Palouse	99161	Whitman County	Palouse School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 878-1921	100	10	10.4	47.0%	83 (83.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)								(n/a)											$23,483	$1,583	$21,900

Cities Near Zip Code 99161

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Palouse	0.18 mi	4	42^nd
Garfield	7.61 mi	2
Pullman	12.59 mi	6	36^th
Colfax	13.56 mi	2	47^th
Steptoe	14.55 mi	1

See the top WA Washington cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.