Original Research by School Decision on Early Learning Center
The Early Learning Center is a specialized school within the Ellensburg School District, serving only pre-kindergarten students. It is classified as a special education school, which shapes its core purpose. The school is small, and a substantial share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Because the Early Learning Center serves only one grade level before the start of formal state testing, there are no state assessment results to report. There are also no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data, as these metrics apply to high school grade spans. A parent looking for traditional academic performance measures will not find them here; the school is designed to provide early childhood education and specialized support rather than to produce standardized test scores.
The student body is diverse, with a majority of students identifying as white, a large Hispanic population, and small numbers of students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, or of two or more races. Class sizes are necessarily small given the total enrollment and the single grade level served.
The school is part of the Ellensburg School District, which operates within the broader Kittitas County educational landscape. The district itself has been dealing with facility and funding questions. A capital bond measure for safety upgrades, roof replacements, and HVAC improvements failed to reach the required supermajority in early 2024, leaving those projects unfunded. The district board has discussed running a revised bond in a future election. On the other hand, a replacement Educational Programs and Operations levy passed in 2022 and runs through 2026, funding staffing, curriculum, and student support services beyond what state money covers.
A new elementary school, Ida Nason Aronica, opened in fall 2022 to handle enrollment growth, and attendance boundaries were adjusted that same year to accommodate it. Families moving into the area may want to check which elementary school their address feeds into, though this does not directly affect the Early Learning Center, which is a standalone pre-kindergarten program.
The city of Ellensburg is a college town and the county seat, anchored by Central Washington University. The historic downtown core is walkable and hosts a farmers market and festivals. Central Washington University is a major employer, and a new WinCo Foods distribution center under construction will add jobs. The population has grown in recent years. Home values in the area have held relatively steady, with a slight recent dip, and rents have edged upward.
This school is not a standard elementary school and should not be evaluated as one. It serves a specific purpose for the youngest students, many of whom receive special education services. A parent considering this school will want to speak directly with staff about what programs and therapies are available, how the transition to kindergarten works within the district, and how the school supports its particular population. The data available gives a picture of a small, targeted program in a growing college town where the parent district is actively managing enrollment and infrastructure needs.
See more original research from School Decision →