The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 50%.
Original Research by School Decision on East Grays Harbor High School
East Grays Harbor High School is an alternative school in the Elma School District, serving grades nine through twelve. It is a very small program. The entire student body numbers in the low single digits across the four grade levels, with the majority of students in the upper grades. This is not a comprehensive high school with a large campus; it is a focused alternative setting for students who need a different approach to earning their diploma.
The student population is predominantly white, with a Hispanic student population making up roughly a fifth of the school. A very high share of students come from families with low enough incomes to qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a factor that tends to be correlated with additional academic and social support needs. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile.
State testing data is limited for this school. For the assessment year that is available, the only reported result is for eighth-grade English language arts, where half of the students who took the test met the proficiency standard. This is a very small number of test-takers, and the participation rate itself was low, so this single figure gives a narrow window into academic performance. State math and science results for those same eighth-grade test-takers were suppressed, meaning the numbers were too small to report publicly. In the broader context of Grays Harbor County, the school’s combined proficiency index across the tested subjects and grades it did report landed in the top quartile among the county’s thirteen districts. Given the tiny test-taking cohort and the incomplete data, a parent should treat this comparative position with caution and talk directly with the school about how it measures student progress.
Because this is a high school, a parent would want to know about the graduation rate, but that figure was not available in the data. The same was true for chronic absenteeism. These are meaningful gaps for any high school, and a parent considering this placement should ask the school directly about its graduation rate, the number of students who complete the program, and what kind of post-graduation support it offers.
Academically, the profile does not list any specific program offerings, such as career and technical education pathways, dual-credit courses, or Advanced Placement classes. Given the school’s very small size and alternative mission, it is unlikely to offer the breadth of course options found at a comprehensive high school. The school’s purpose is more targeted: to provide a path to graduation for students who may not have succeeded in a traditional setting.
Elma itself is a small city in the Chehalis River Valley of eastern Grays Harbor County. It has historically been a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural and timber industries, which remain mainstays. In recent years, the area has also attracted commuters and retirees, adding a residential dimension to the local economy. The city is compact, with a traditional downtown district near the interchange of State Routes 8 and 12, providing access to the Interstate 5 corridor. Industrial parks west and southwest of town, including the repurposed Satsop Development Park on the site of a never-completed nuclear power plant, continue to attract businesses. Housing values are modest relative to state benchmarks, which may make the area more accessible for families than parts of western Washington.
The Elma School District operates four schools in total: an elementary, a middle, a comprehensive high school, and East Grays Harbor High. No recent district-level changes that would be relevant to parents were found in available public sources.
For a family considering East Grays Harbor High School, the defining feature is its scale and purpose. This is a school for a small number of students who need a non-traditional academic setting. It is not a place with a wide array of extracurriculars or a large peer group. A parent looking into this school should closely examine the school’s graduation outcomes, its approach to credit recovery or individualized instruction, and how it prepares students for life after high school, whether that is work, training, or further education. The available data paints an incomplete picture, and direct conversation with the school staff is essential to understand what this alternative program actually provides.
See more original research from School Decision →