The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Catalyst Public Schools
Catalyst Public Schools is a charter school district in Kitsap County, Washington, currently serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It launched a high school program beginning with ninth grade in fall 2024 and plans to add a grade each year until it becomes a full K-12 district. That expansion is the central story here: a district that was originally K-8 is now building out a secondary pathway for its students, giving families a continuous option within the charter rather than having to transition to another district for high school.
The district is small, with enrollment around that size for its grade band. Its student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, and of two or more races. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, which limits a full picture of the support needs in the building.
On state assessments, proficiency rates vary noticeably by grade and subject. In English language arts, performance is mixed across the elementary and middle school grades. One grade level shows a rate that is a strength, while others land around the middle mark or lower. In math, the pattern is softer: a few grade levels show a more solid share of students meeting the bar, but several others sit at a lower rate. Science results are reported for two tested grades; one is around the middle, and the other is lower. Looking across all subjects and grades, the district’s overall proficiency index places Catalyst in the bottom quartile among Kitsap County’s districts. This means that, on aggregate, the share of students scoring proficient on state tests is below that of most neighboring districts. A parent reading these results will see a district where some grade levels and subjects perform better than others, and the overall pattern is one a family would want to explore further with the school.
Chronic absenteeism is flagged at a rate below the midpoint among county districts, meaning a noticeable share of students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent. This is a metric worth asking about, particularly as it can affect academic continuity.
Per-pupil current spending lands in the lower range compared to other districts in Kitsap County. This is a characteristic worth noting, though spending alone does not tell a family what resources are being directed to instruction, staffing, or programs.
No graduation rate is reported, because the district did not serve high school grades in the years for which that data would be available. That will change as the high school expands.
The district’s academic program offerings data was not available, so there is no information here about elective courses, advanced coursework, or special programs beyond the core academic subjects tested. A family interested in what enrichment or specialized pathways the school offers would need to ask directly.
Because Catalyst operates a single school under its district umbrella, the district and school are effectively the same entity for most practical purposes. The school’s own web presence publicly reports the high school launch, which is the most significant recent change a parent should know about.
In sum, Catalyst Public Schools is a small charter district in the midst of a transition from K-8 to K-12. Its state test results show an academic profile that sits below the county midpoint on aggregate, with variation across grades and subjects. Chronic absenteeism is a point to understand better. The expansion into high school is a meaningful development for families who want a continuous charter option through graduation, and the district’s future trajectory will depend in part on how that new program takes shape.
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