Original Research by School Decision on Kalama High School
Kalama High School is a regular public high school serving grades nine through twelve in the small Cowlitz County town of Kalama, Washington. The school is part of the Kalama School District, and its student body is modest in size for a high school. The most recent state assessment results offer a mixed picture of academic performance. A majority of students met the standard in English language arts, and a little more than half did so in science. Math proficiency was notably lower, with roughly three in ten students reaching the bar. These results come from a single year of testing, so no trend is available. The school did not report a graduation rate in the data we reviewed, and no chronic absenteeism or discipline figures were available. A parent may want to follow up directly with the school on these metrics.
The student population is predominantly White, with a Hispanic group forming the next largest share, followed by smaller numbers of Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic mix of the community. We looked for information on special education and English learner populations but did not find those counts in the data. The school does not have charter or magnet status, and Title I status was not indicated.
Kalama itself is a compact riverfront town on the Columbia River, shaped by its industrial port and constrained by surrounding hills and floodplain. The Port of Kalama is a major maritime terminal handling dry bulk cargo for export, with extensive rail infrastructure running through town. The business district sits on the east side of Interstate 5, with residential areas climbing the hill to the east, some offering dramatic river views. The town’s geography keeps civic life integrated rather than spread across separate campuses, and the high school sits within this tight-knit setting. Housing values in the area have risen in recent years, and the typical home price is broadly in line with state benchmarks, though monthly mortgage costs are notably higher than rents, making renting a comparatively more affordable option.
The Kalama School District did not surface any major recent changes such as curriculum shifts, referendums, or property-tax adjustments in the publicly available material we reviewed. That may simply mean the district has been operating without a high-profile event, but a parent should check with the district directly for any updates.
We cannot offer a placement relative to neighboring districts in Cowlitz County because the comparison data was not available for this school. Together, these characteristics paint a picture of a small high school in a working waterfront town where academic strengths lie in English and science, math is an area of concern to investigate further, and the community context is defined by industry, river access, and a compact geography. Families considering Kalama High School will want to learn more about graduation outcomes and support for students who struggle in math, as well as the school’s offerings beyond core academics—program data was not provided, so it is worth asking about electives, career and technical education, and dual-credit opportunities directly.
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