Original Research by School Decision on Hollingsworth Academy
Hollingsworth Academy is a special education school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade within the Evergreen School District in Vancouver. Its identity is sharply defined by that purpose: it is designed for students who require specialized academic and behavioral support that a comprehensive neighborhood school may not be able to provide. This is not a general-education school that families choose based on test scores or a set of electives. It is a placement-based program for students whose Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) call for a more structured and therapeutic learning environment.
The school is small, and its grade-level enrollment is concentrated heavily in twelfth grade, which is typical for a program where students may remain through their graduation year in a setting that meets their needs. The student body draws from the Vancouver area, which is a mid-sized city and the county seat of Clark County, part of the Portland metropolitan area. Vancouver itself is one of the fastest-growing cities in Washington, with ongoing annexation proposals and high-density development along its waterfront and downtown core. The housing market in the surrounding area reflects a value that is somewhat below the state median but above the national median, and rental costs are notable relative to incomes. The broader Clark County economy includes major corporate employers like ZoomInfo and Nautilus, as well as the Port of Vancouver, but the community context for a family considering this school is about the specialized services available, not the general economic profile of the city.
State testing data for Hollingsworth Academy is suppressed. This is not unusual for a school of its type and size. Special education schools that serve a population of students with significant disabilities often have very small numbers of test-takers per grade, and state education agencies suppress results to protect student privacy. That suppression means there are no publicly reported proficiency rates in math, English language arts, or science for any grade level. A parent reading this should understand that the absence of testing data is not an indication of poor performance but rather a consequence of the school's mission and enrollment size. The standard academic accountability framework does not apply here in a typical way. If a family wants to understand student academic growth, they would need to ask the school directly about its own internal assessments and progress monitoring, because the state report card will not provide that picture.
The enrollment data shows about ninety students. The majority of students are white, with a notable share identifying as Hispanic and smaller shares as Black or multiracial. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The civil rights data that is often used to examine discipline rates, staffing ratios, and course access is absent, so the full picture of school environment and support services is not available from this source. The school is part of the Evergreen School District, which recently completed a major bond-funded construction program that rebuilt some of the district's oldest schools and upgraded the remainder. Families should verify whether Hollingsworth Academy's facilities were part of that program.
The school serves kindergarten through twelfth grade, but the enrollment pattern suggests most students enter at older ages and remain through graduation, with small numbers in the lower and middle grades. This is consistent with a program that serves students whose needs become more acute or more clearly defined as they progress through their school years. There is no graduation rate reported, which again reflects the specialized nature of the program; standard four-year cohort graduation metrics may not capture the paths these students take.
For a parent or guardian considering Hollingsworth Academy, the question is not about how it compares to other schools in Clark County on proficiency or graduation. The relevant comparison is whether this school offers the therapeutic, behavioral, and academic supports that a particular student requires. The data here cannot assess that. The school's website and direct conversations with staff would be essential to understand the specific programs, staff-to-student ratios, counseling services, transition planning, and the criteria for admission or placement. The very features that make the school appropriate for some students are the same features that make it impossible to judge through the usual metrics.
See more original research from School Decision →