Darrington School District, WA

Original Research by School Decision on Darrington School District

Darrington School District serves the small town of Darrington in the foothills of the North Cascades, a remote community in Snohomish County where the mountain highway ends. The district covers pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across two schools: Darrington Elementary and Darrington High School. The enrollment is small for a K-12 district. The student body is predominantly white, with a noticeable share of Hispanic students and a modest presence of American Indian or Alaska Native students. The racial makeup reflects the local population of this isolated timber town.

State assessment results are available for math, English language arts, and science. In almost every tested grade, proficiency rates fall below what many families might expect from a typical public school. Across all subjects and grades combined, the district’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Snohomish County. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through eight range from roughly one in eight students meeting the bar in fifth grade to about one in three in fourth and eighth grades. In English language arts, rates are a bit higher but still modest, with the strongest showing in eighth grade where about two in five students are proficient, while third and fifth grades hover around one in five. Science results for fifth and eighth graders land at roughly one in four or one in three students proficient. These are the test results a parent would want to look into further with the school, especially to understand how the district supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.

The district serves a population where economic disadvantage is likely a factor in the community, though free or reduced-price lunch data was not provided. Chronic absenteeism is a known concern: the district’s rate sits above the midpoint among Snohomish County districts, which is relevant because high absence rates can affect classroom pace and individual student progress.

On the spending side, the district’s per-pupil current expenditure falls in the upper range compared to other districts in the county. That higher spending may reflect the challenges of operating a small, rural district with fixed costs for facilities, transportation, and staffing spread across a low enrollment count. Parents should ask how those resources translate into programs and support.

The housing market in the district’s coverage area is mixed, reflecting the spread across several small towns and unincorporated areas. Home values vary widely. In the core Darrington area, a home is priced moderately, while in nearby Arlington and Granite Falls values climb higher, and Concrete and Marblemount sit lower. Rents are available only for the Arlington area and are at a level that requires a substantial share of household income. Affordability is tight relative to typical area earnings.

The district operates without the program information that would help a family know what is offered in career and technical education, Advanced Placement, or dual credit. That data was absent. The high school appears to be the sole provider of secondary education, so the range of course options may be limited simply by the size of the school. A parent interested in specialized pathways should reach out to the high school directly.

No recent district changes were found in public reporting. The district appears stable in its operations, without announced closures, consolidations, or major curriculum shifts that would alter the experience for current or incoming families.

This is a small, rural district where academic proficiency is a clear soft spot and where chronic absence adds headwinds. A family considering Darrington should weigh the tight-knit, small-school environment against the test performance and the limited evidence of advanced programming. The higher per-pupil spending does not currently translate to above-average achievement, which is an important detail for any parent to explore on a school visit.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

478

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 11%

White 76%

Asian 1%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 6%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

19%

—

Gr 4

—

55%

Gr 5

—

31%

Gr 6

21%

—

Gr 7

33%

45%

Gr 8

38%

45%

Math

Gr 3

15%

—

Gr 4

25%

45%

Gr 6

18%

—

Gr 7

22%

45%

Gr 8

33%

36%

Science

Gr 5

24%

38%

Gr 8

29%

—

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

Darrington Elementary School

Darrington High School

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

18%

Grade 3

33%

Grade 4

13%

Grade 5

18%

Grade 6

31%

Grade 7

34%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

21%

Grade 3

35%

Grade 4

18%

Grade 5

21%

Grade 6

38%

Grade 7

41%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

29%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$451,267

Year-over-year change+0.4%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$216K to $665K

vs. state typical0.75x

vs. national typical1.23x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
98241		$438K	+0.1%	78.9%
98223	Arlington	$665K	+1.6%	12.4%
98237	Concrete	$252K	+2.2%	7.9%
98267	Marblemount	$216K	-6.0%	0.5%
98252	Granite Falls	$590K	+1.7%	0.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,164/mo

Year-over-year change+3.9%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
98223	Arlington	$2,164	+3.9%	12.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,277/mo

Home price / national median income5.4x

Annual rent / national median income31.0%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$113/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.