The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 60% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Almira Elementary School
Almira Elementary School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in the small, rural farming town of Almira in eastern Washington’s Lincoln County. The town itself is a very small, close-knit agricultural community focused on dry-land wheat farming, where most economic activity ties to local agriculture and the remaining businesses on the historic brick main street cater to that base. The school operates as part of the Almira School District, which has consolidated over time to serve a wider regional area beyond Almira itself. For high school, students would move on elsewhere, as the school stops at eighth grade.
The student body is small and predominantly white, with a modest share of students identifying as Hispanic. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the local economic context. No data was available for special education or English learner populations, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures.
On state assessments in the most recent year, the school’s results show a pattern of rising performance in the upper grades. In math, proficiency rates were at the midpoint in third grade and fifth grade, then climbed to a higher share in sixth grade, and reached a strong majority proficient in seventh and eighth grades. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: rates around the middle in third and fifth grades, a moderate share in sixth grade, dipping somewhat in seventh grade, then reaching a high share proficient in eighth grade. In science, proficiency for both fifth and eighth graders was at a solid majority. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other school districts in Lincoln County, a set of eight districts. This suggests that when students reach the upper elementary and middle school years, the school is producing outcomes that compare favorably within the county.
The learning environment is shaped by the scale of the place. The school has a small enrollment spread across grades, so class sizes in the early elementary years are particularly small. A parent drawn to a setting where their child would get substantial individual attention and be well known by staff would likely find that here. The trade-off is that a very small school cannot offer the same breadth of electives, extracurriculars, or specialized course pathways that larger schools do. No data was available on program offerings such as art, music, or advanced coursework, so families should verify what is available directly.
No multi-year assessment trend data was available beyond the single year, which limits a parent’s view into whether results are stable or moving. No chronic absenteeism or discipline data was available, nor any staffing or student-teacher ratio information. A parent may want to ask the school for context on attendance patterns, class sizes, and staff stability.
The district brief found no recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or property-tax changes. The community context in Almira is one of long-term stability at a very small size, with no major growth or development initiatives. U.S. Highway 2 was redesigned to bypass downtown, reducing through-traffic and likely quieting the commercial core. The town’s peak activity came during the Grand Coulee Dam construction era, and it has settled into a stable, slow-paced rural existence. For a family looking for a small-town, agrarian setting with a school where their child is likely to be known personally and where academic performance in the later grades appears solid within the county, Almira Elementary fits that profile. For a family seeking broad program options, larger peer groups, or a more dynamic community context, this would not be the right fit.
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