Original Research by School Decision on Damman Elementary
Damman Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Ellensburg, Washington. It is not part of the larger Ellensburg School District but instead belongs to the Damman School District, a separate entity that operates this single school. With an enrollment that makes it one of the smallest elementary schools in the area, the school functions much like a community schoolhouse: a setting where class sizes are tiny and students across grade levels are likely to know one another well.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a very small share of Hispanic students. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, receiving special education services, or learning English as a second language were not available, so a family interested in those support structures should ask the school directly. The school does not serve older grades, so there is no graduation rate or high school program to consider.
State assessment results for the most recent year were largely suppressed for individual grades because the number of test-takers was too small to report publicly. However, the school did have a single combined-year proficiency rate reported across all tested grades. In English language arts, that rate was solid. In math, it was lower, a pattern that mirrors many elementary schools across the state. Because only one year of data is available, there is no trend to assess, and a family may want to ask the principal how the school tracks student progress year to year and what supports are in place for students who need extra help in math.
Damman Elementary sits within the city limits of Ellensburg, a college town and the county seat of Kittitas County. Ellensburg is anchored by Central Washington University, which is a major employer, and a historic downtown with brick buildings, a farmers market, and seasonal festivals. The local economy also includes agriculture, particularly timothy hay production, and a new distribution center under construction that is expected to bring more jobs. The city has been growing in population, and the housing market reflects that demand. Typical home values in the area are above the national average but somewhat below the state average, and rents are moderate relative to incomes. The school itself is located on a road in a quieter part of town, away from the downtown core and the university campus.
Because Damman Elementary is the only school in its district, the district has no other schools to compare it to within its own system. It is a single-building operation, and the district has reported no recent changes such as boundary shifts, curriculum overhauls, or facility referendums. That stability may appeal to families looking for a consistent, low-turnaround environment.
This school fits a family that values an intimate, close-knit learning environment where every child is known. The small size means that teachers and staff can provide individualized attention, but it also means that the range of specialist programs, elective offerings, and extracurricular activities typical of larger elementary schools may be limited. Given the small enrollment, the school likely combines grades into multi-age classrooms or has single classes per grade, which is common in rural one-school districts. A parent considering this school should visit, ask about how the school handles different learning needs with its limited staff, and confirm how the school communicates academic progress given that statewide test results are often too small to report. For families who want a straightforward, small-scale elementary experience in a growing college town, Damman Elementary offers a distinct alternative to the larger schools in the Ellensburg district.
See more original research from School Decision →