Carbonado Historical School 19, Carbonado WA

Original Research by School Decision on Carbonado Historical School 19

Carbonado Historical School 19 is a single-school district serving grades PK through 8 in the town of Carbonado, a small, mainly residential community in northern Pierce County. Once a coal mining company town that rivaled Tacoma in size during its late 19th century boom, it now functions as a bedroom community where all current residents commute elsewhere for work. Company-built houses from the mining era still line the main street, giving the town a historic, uniform architectural texture, and there is no commercial downtown. The school is one of the few remaining institutional structures from the mining era and functions as the primary civic anchor; for high school, residents look to neighboring communities such as Buckley.

The school's enrollment is small, serving students from preschool through eighth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of students identifying as Hispanic. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is notably lower than many peer schools in the area. The school is a regular public school and is the only school in its district; no charter or magnet status applies.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, results varied by grade and subject. In math, proficiency rates across tested grades generally rose from the lower elementary grades into middle school, with a notable drop in one middle-grade level. In English language arts, patterns were similar, with some middle-grade cohorts performing well, and one grade level posting a lower rate. In science, both tested grades showed proficiency that was solid. Overall, the school's combined proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint relative to other districts in Pierce County. A parent looking at the data will see that while performance is uneven in any given year, the school's composite standing is a bright spot in the county. The data available only covers one year of testing, so there is no trend to examine yet, but the single-year results position the school favorably.

Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available, nor were counts for students with disabilities or English learners. Discipline data and course access data were also absent from the record. A parent seeking information on these topics would need to ask the school directly.

The district itself has been stable. A search for recent changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or property tax measures turned up no lasting developments of the kind some families track. The district is very small, and the available public records reflect routine state assessment audits and historical background rather than any reconfiguration.

Housing in the area carries a price that is moderately higher than the national benchmark, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment at current interest rates is substantial. The local unemployment rate is near the national figure, and median household income nationally has held steady for the last several years.

For families considering the school, the picture is clear. This is a very small, rural K-8 school that serves as the main civic institution in a town with no commercial district. Academically, it holds its own among Pierce County districts and in some grades posts strong results. It is the kind of place where a child can move through elementary and middle school in a stable, contained environment with a high degree of community identity. The school's small size means that program breadth, such as the variety of electives or advanced courses families might find in a larger middle school, is absent from the available data, but the school's academic showing suggests the core instruction is doing well for many students. Families whose children would enter in the early grades will want to confirm that the transition to high school in Buckley is well supported. The town's isolation and lack of commercial amenities are plain, as is the fact that all commuting is by personal vehicle.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 47%

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

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolCarbonado 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

English language arts

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income64%14 pp gap