Knolls Vista Elementary, Moses Lake WA

Original Research by School Decision on Knolls Vista Elementary

Knolls Vista Elementary is a regular public school in Moses Lake, Washington, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Moses Lake School District, the largest district in Grant County, and its roughly 280 students attend a school that reflects the economic and demographic fabric of this fast-growing central Washington city.

Moses Lake itself has transformed from an agricultural hub into a regional industrial and manufacturing center. Major employers include a polysilicon plant, a carbon fiber facility, and electric vehicle battery factories, many backed by federal investment. The city is on a steady growth trajectory, and the school district has responded with capital construction, including a new elementary school and a project-based learning high school option. For a family considering Knolls Vista, this context matters: the community is expanding, the economic base is diversifying, and the district is investing in facilities and program choice.

The student body at Knolls Vista is majority Hispanic, with a substantial share of white students and smaller numbers of other racial groups. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, indicating that the school serves a high-poverty population. Data on English learner and special education counts were not available in the source materials, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about supports for those groups. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not reported.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Knolls Vista’s results sit below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Grant County. Across tested grades and subjects, proficiency rates clustered in the range of roughly a third to two-fifths of students meeting the bar. In English language arts, performance varied by grade, with a higher share of fifth graders proficient than fourth graders. Math results were similar across grades, with about a third of students proficient. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed roughly two in five students proficient. Because the assessment data covers only a single year, there is no trend to observe; a parent may want to follow up with the school about whether this year’s results are typical or part of a longer pattern. The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate is reported.

The housing market around the school is relatively affordable compared to Washington state benchmarks. Home values are modest, and rents are below the national average, which matters for families balancing school quality with cost of living. Moses Lake is an auto-oriented city with limited walkability, and school facilities are spread across town rather than clustered downtown.

For a parent, Knolls Vista presents a mixed profile. The school serves a high-need population in a growing district that is adding options, including a nontraditional high school pathway. Academic results are on the lower side relative to peers in the county, which is worth understanding in the context of the school’s poverty level and the fact that many schools serving similar demographics face comparable challenges. A family choosing this school would want to learn about specific academic interventions, early literacy support, and enrichment opportunities, none of which are detailed in the available data. The absence of discipline, attendance, and staffing data also leaves gaps that a visit and conversation with the principal could fill.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 50% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 40% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 36% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 37% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 41% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

This schoolMoses Lake School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income14%Higher-income47%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income50%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income47%21 pp gap