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Main Post Office - Kelso WashingtonPhoto: Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat) · CC BY-SA 3.0
C+
Schools in Kelso · Kelso School District

Kelso’s public schools score below 57% of Washington districts on tests and graduation

28% of students in Kelso’s public schools are proficient in math, below the Washington average (40%). The grade covers the public school district serving Kelso, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Washington, not nationally.

#197of 285 Washington townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Washington state tests taken in spring 2022, when 92% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
46%
▼ 7 pts vs WA 53%
2021–22
Math proficiency
28%
▼ 12 pts vs WA 40%
2021–22
Graduate on time
85%
▲ 1 pts vs WA 84%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$17.5K
▼ 5% vs WA $18.4K
FY2024
Students per teacher
18.2
WA 17.7
Schools in town
6
3,552 students on the public path
In brief

Kelso’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 215 Washington towns with household incomes within a quarter of Kelso’s, its schools beat 50%, higher than their 43% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 46% of tested students were proficient in reading and 28% in math, against 53% and 40% statewide; 92% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

85% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 84% across Washington. Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $17,454 per student, against $18,444 across Washington (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Three elementary schools, then two middle and one high school

Which school depends on the address at every step. Enrollment is up 20% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Choice beyond the district

Kelso Virtual Academy, an online school, is based here too; it isn’t counted as a local school. Every school ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Kelso’s grade

C+ Test scoresB− Graduation

C+: better than 43% of Washington school districts, #197 of 285 Washington towns. Graduation is above the Washington average; test scores are below it.

Washington school districts we grade (289)Better than 43%
Lower resultsHigher results
Washington towns with similar household incomes (215)Better than 50%
C+B−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 2,432 test results and a graduating class of 417 could put Kelso anywhere from C+ to B−. The tests are from spring 2022, when 92% of Kelso’s students in the tested grades sat them (2,420 in math, 2,444 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Kelso, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–53 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressNo scores
6–82 middle schoolsDepends on your addressNo scores
9–12Kelso High SchoolKelso School DistrictNo scores

Kelso’s public schools are run by Kelso School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Kelso School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 13 schools · 4,960 students, up 20% since 2020–21 · 18.2 per teacher (WA 17.7)
$17,454WA $18,444 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading46%
State average 53.4% · 2444 students tested
Math28%
State average 40.1% · 2420 students tested

Kelso vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Washington towns that share Kelso’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
KelsoC+Kelso
LongviewCLongview

Every school in Kelso

7 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Washington’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Kelsoby address
Butler Acres Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
426 students17:1Rate it →
Barnes Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
343 students17:1Rate it →
Wallace Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
333 students17:1Rate it →
Huntington Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
559 students19:1Rate it →
Coweeman Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
501 students19:1Rate it →
Kelso High School
High · Grades 9–12
1,390 students19:1Rate it →
Online schools based in Kelsonot counted as local schools
Kelso Virtual Academy
Grades K–12
Online
216 students24:1Rate it →

Left off: 3 public programs with fewer than 25 students (Special Education, Loowit High School and Kelso Goal Oriented Learning Design).

Questions about Kelso’s schools

Are Kelso’s schools good?

On Washington’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Kelso children attend score below 57% of Washington’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #197 of 285 Washington towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 50%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Kelso in?

Kelso School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 4,960 students in 13 schools (2024–25).

Where do Kelso kids go to high school?

Kelso High School, with 1,390 students.

What is Kelso’s graduation rate?

85% of the class of 2023 in Kelso School District graduated in four years, against 84% across Washington.

How much does Kelso spend per student?

$17,454 in Kelso School District (FY2024), against $18,444 across Washington. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Kelso families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Kelso → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Washington. Stars are from neighbors.