The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Clallam Bay High & Elementary
Clallam Bay High & Elementary is a single school serving all grades from kindergarten through twelve in the remote unincorporated community of Clallam Bay, on Washington's Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is the only school in the Cape Flattery School District for this part of the county. The school is small, and the community it serves is tiny, a former mill town now reliant on tourism, fishing, logging, and a county prison. The setting is sparse and isolated, accessed by a winding two-lane highway.
The school's enrollment is small for a K-12 campus, and the student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic students and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a majority of families face economic challenges. The school serves the full K-12 range under one roof, which means siblings attend the same building and the high school population is very small.
State testing data for the most recent year is limited. For most grade levels and subjects, results were suppressed, which is common when the number of students tested is very small. The school's small enrollment means that even when results are reported, they represent a handful of students and should be read with caution. For the grade levels where results were reported, proficiency rates in English language arts and science were below the midpoint among districts in Clallam County, and math proficiency was lower still. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages across tested subjects and grades, also sits below the midpoint relative to other districts in the county. A parent may want to discuss with the school how instruction is tailored for such a small, multi-grade setting and what supports are in place for students who need additional help.
The school serves kindergarten through twelfth grade under one roof, which is a practical arrangement for a remote community. High school students graduate from this same building, and the school offers a full K-12 pathway without requiring a transition to a separate campus. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent publicly reported changes or initiatives, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about current programming, course offerings at the high school level, and any extracurricular or career-connected learning opportunities.
Housing in the area is modestly priced relative to the state. The typical home value in the zip code is well below the Washington state benchmark, and the area has a lower cost of living than the national average. The local economy is driven by tourism, fishing, logging, and the county prison. The community is remote, with limited services and a long drive to larger towns such as Port Angeles.
For a family considering this school, the central fact is its size and isolation. The school is the community's hub, and the student body is small enough that individual attention is a given. The trade-off is that academic offerings, extracurriculars, and peer variety are constrained by that same small scale. A parent who values a close-knit, rural school where their child will be known well may find this a good fit. A parent looking for broad course selection, large-scale athletics, or a wide range of advanced coursework may want to ask the school directly about what is available at the high school level. The state testing picture is incomplete due to the small number of students, but the available data suggests that academic proficiency is an area the school is working on, and a parent should discuss academic supports with the staff.
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