Wallace Elementary, Kelso WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Wallace Elementary

Wallace Elementary serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in Kelso, Washington, as part of the Kelso School District. It is a regular public school with an enrollment that is relatively small for an elementary school covering this grade span. A very large share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, indicating a high level of economic need among the families the school serves.

The student population is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic or Latino cohort and smaller groups of students who identify as two or more races, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Black. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are supported.

On the 2024-25 state assessments, the all-students proficiency rates across grade levels and subjects show a pattern of scores below the midpoint for the county, weak in the early elementary grades and stronger by fourth and fifth grade, particularly in English language arts. In third grade, math proficiency and English language arts proficiency were both at low levels. By fourth grade, math proficiency rose notably and English language arts proficiency rose substantially, though neither reached a majority. In fifth grade, math remained near the fourth-grade level, English language arts held roughly steady, and science proficiency was at a similar level. The overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested grades and subjects, places Wallace Elementary below the midpoint relative to districts in Cowlitz County. Only a single year of testing data was available, so there is no trend to examine. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports students who enter behind grade-level expectations and how it builds skills in the primary grades.

Kelso, where the school is located, is the county seat of Cowlitz County and sits across the Cowlitz River from the larger city of Longview, with the two forming a combined metropolitan area. The economy is historically tied to wood products and natural resource industries, and the city also functions as a governmental and services hub. The built environment is low-density and auto-oriented, with a small historic downtown core along the river. Interstate 5 runs through the city, and a multimodal transit center offers Amtrak, Greyhound, and local bus connections. The city’s population growth is very modest, and the area has experienced geological constraints on development, including a notable landslide in the past that led to stricter zoning on hillsides. No major new housing developments were identified in available research.

The Kelso School District’s schools are distributed across the city in different neighborhoods rather than clustered in a single center. Wallace Elementary is located in a residential area. Information on the district’s recent bond or referendum activity was not found in available sources, so a parent should check with the district directly for any current facility plans or funding initiatives.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 57% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 40% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 39% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 44% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 43% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 50% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 50% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolKelso School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income58%26 pp gap