The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary School
Washington Elementary School is a regular public school in the Centralia School District, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. Located on Field Street in Centralia, the school’s setting is a mix of residential and commercial, with the city itself sitting along the I-5 corridor roughly halfway between Seattle and Portland. Centralia has a historic downtown that revived as an antique and specialty shopping district, and its economy has moved from its roots in coal mining, lumber, and dairying toward healthcare, education, retail, and logistics. The school serves a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic presence, a small share identifying as two or more races, and very small numbers of Black and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals at a rate well above the state average, indicating a high-need population.
Academically, Washington Elementary’s test results from Washington’s Smarter Balanced assessments offer a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through six fall in a moderate range, with one grade level reaching a notably higher share of students meeting the bar. In math, the rates are generally lower, with a decline from the early grades to fifth grade, followed by a modest uptick in sixth grade. Science results, which are assessed only in fifth grade, hover around the same general area as the school’s overall math performance. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint relative to other districts in Lewis County. This suggests that while the school is not an outlier at the top of the county, it is performing better than many of its peers in the area. Only a single year of state assessment data was available, so no trend in student performance could be established.
Because Washington Elementary serves only up to sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data was provided on chronic absenteeism or discipline. The school’s program offerings, beyond the standard curriculum, were not detailed in the available data. However, the district itself recently launched a new career and technical education pathway in green energy fields, called the Renewable Energy Vehicle and Infrastructure Technician (REVIT) training program, in partnership with the local transit authority. While this program is aimed at older students currently, it speaks to a district that is actively developing specialized career tracks, which may be relevant for families thinking ahead to middle and high school options.
For families considering Washington Elementary, the most salient factor is the socioeconomic context. A very large share of students come from low-income households, which often correlates with higher levels of need for support services and can affect classroom dynamics. The school’s academic outcomes, while solidly in the middle of the county’s range, are not strong compared to state averages. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how it allocates its resources to support the student body and what interventions are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.
Housing in the Centralia area is relatively affordable compared to the state as a whole, with typical home values well below the Washington benchmark. Rents also come in below the state figure, making the community more accessible for families with a range of budgets. The city has experienced steady but moderate population growth over recent decades, and its downtown continues to be a focus of revitalization. For a family that wants a small-city environment with a walkable historic core and a school that reflects the community’s economic realities, Washington Elementary provides a straightforward, neighborhood-based option within a district that is beginning to build out new career-focused programming.
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