The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 18% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Saint Helens Elementary
Saint Helens Elementary sits in the Longview School District and serves kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is a regular public elementary school in a city that was originally planned in the 1920s with separate zones for business, industry, and residences. Longview's economy is rooted in timber and paper, with a diversifying manufacturing base and the Port of Longview as a major employer. The city's modest population growth and incremental development pattern shape the context in which the school operates.
The student body is diverse. White students make up roughly half the enrollment, with Hispanic students as the next largest group, followed by small shares of students who are two or more races, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that this school serves a population with significant economic need. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs and English learner status was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.
State assessment results are available for math, English language arts, and science for the 2024-25 school year. The school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Cowlitz County. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency was roughly a quarter in third grade, just over a fifth in fourth grade, and about a fifth in fifth grade. In English language arts, about a small fraction of third graders were proficient, a quarter of fourth graders, and roughly a quarter of fifth graders. In fifth-grade science, about a quarter of students were proficient. These are low proficiency rates, and a parent exploring this school will want to understand what academic interventions and supports are in place. The single-year snapshot means no trend data is available to show whether performance is improving or declining.
The school's location in Longview means families have access to the city's amenities, including Lake Sacajawea Park, the Longview Public Library, and the Civic Center district. The school is one of eight elementary schools in the district, which also operates three middle schools and two high schools. The district closed its Special Services school after the 2022-23 school year, which is worth noting for families who may have relied on that program.
Housing in the area, measured by zip-code level data, shows home values and rents that are below the state benchmark, making this a more affordable corner of Washington. The estimated monthly mortgage and rent figures suggest that a typical household paying rent would spend a lower share of income on housing than the national average, though the mortgage payment is higher than the median rent, a dynamic that may influence a family's decision to rent or buy.
Saint Helens Elementary is a high-needs school in a district that sits within a mid-sized manufacturing city. The academic results are weak, and the economic context is one of concentrated poverty. For a family considering this school, the central question is what interventions and support the school offers to raise student achievement. The school's profile suggests it is a place where a parent would want to be closely involved and informed about their child's progress and the school's academic direction.
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