Colfax School District, WA

Original Research by School Decision on Colfax School District

Colfax School District serves roughly 540 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade in Whitman County, eastern Washington. The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of students identifying as Hispanic and even smaller shares across other racial and ethnic groups. The district operates two schools: Colfax High School and Leonard M Jennings Elementary. Data on the share of students who 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 student support needs across the district.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, the district’s results follow a pattern that parents will want to look at closely. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency starts strong at the early grade levels, then drops in the middle grades. At fifth grade, just over half of students met the math benchmark, and by eighth grade the rate falls to around two in five students. English language arts results follow a similar arc: third graders turned in high proficiency, but by seventh and eighth grade the rates drop to roughly half and below half of students, respectively. Science results are available for fifth and eighth grade; the fifth-grade rate was solid while the eighth-grade rate was low. When comparing the district’s overall performance across tested subjects and grades against other districts in Whitman County, Colfax lands in the top quartile, meaning it performs well relative to many of its county peers. Still, the decline in proficiency through the upper elementary and middle school years is a real soft spot, and families moving into the district may want to ask the school leadership how they support students who are not yet meeting benchmarks in those grades.

The district’s rate of chronic absenteeism, at a level that places it in the top quartile among Whitman County districts (a favorable position, since lower chronic absenteeism is better), indicates that most students attend school regularly. That is a meaningful strength. The district’s per-pupil current spending falls in the lower range among county districts, which may be a factor worth noting, though spending alone does not tell the full story of what is available inside classrooms.

Locale data for the towns the district serves was not provided in the available data, so this narrative cannot describe the surrounding community, housing, or commute context in any detail. A parent looking at the district will need to look up the specific towns, particularly Colfax itself, on their own. The data indicates the district spans multiple zip codes in Whitman County, including parts of Colfax, Endicott, Garfield, La Crosse, Palouse, Pullman, and Pomeroy, so the district draws from a wide rural area. Housing values in the district’s zip codes vary, with a weighted average below the state benchmark.

The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as boundary shifts or program launches. That may reflect a period of stability, or it may simply mean the available public record did not surface those details. Either way, nothing in the search suggests a recent disruption.

For a family considering Colfax School District, the academic picture is strongest in the early grades and high school, with a notable dip in the middle years that warrants a conversation with the school. The district is small, rural, and serves a relatively homogeneous student population. The chronic attendance record is good. The spending level is modest relative to other districts in the county. Without data on special education, English learner supports, or discipline patterns, some critical dimensions of school climate remain opaque. A parent examining this district should ask about those directly.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

542

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 4%

Black 1%

White 89%

Asian 1%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

65%

—

Gr 4

40%

77%

Gr 5

54%

55%

Gr 6

50%

—

Gr 7

50%

55%

Gr 8

29%

52%

Math

Gr 4

—

77%

Gr 5

38%

62%

Gr 6

58%

—

Gr 7

33%

61%

Gr 8

—

59%

Science

Gr 5

46%

71%

Gr 8

—

44%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

Colfax High School

Leonard M Jennings Elementary

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

90%

Grade 3

80%

Grade 4

53%

Grade 5

78%

Grade 6

51%

Grade 7

39%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

83%

Grade 3

68%

Grade 4

55%

Grade 5

78%

Grade 6

53%

Grade 7

43%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

62%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$317,273

Year-over-year change-2.3%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$242K to $430K

vs. state typical0.53x

vs. national typical0.86x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
99111	Colfax	$318K	-1.6%	73.6%
99143	La Crosse	$282K	-7.0%	11.7%
99163	Pullman	$430K	-3.6%	5.1%
99130	Garfield	$270K	-5.9%	3.5%
99161	Palouse	$348K	+1.0%	3.4%
99125	Endicott	$242K	-7.2%	1.5%
99347	Pomeroy	$251K	+16.5%	1.2%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,185/mo

Year-over-year change+4.6%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,175 to $1,323/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
99111	Colfax	$1,175	—	73.6%
99163	Pullman	$1,323	+4.6%	5.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,601/mo

Home price / national median income3.8x

Annual rent / national median income17.0%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$416/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$604,087 (-0.6% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.