Connell Elem, Connell WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Connell Elem

Connell Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in the North Franklin School District, a regular public school in the small agricultural-industrial city of Connell in Franklin County. For a family researching this school, the picture that emerges is of a place where the student body is predominantly low-income and largely Hispanic, and where state test results show that a majority of students are not yet reaching the proficiency bar in math, English language arts, or science.

The academic numbers on the 2024-25 state assessments are the central fact a parent will want to weigh. In math, across grades three through six, the share of students scoring proficient ranged from roughly a quarter in sixth grade to about a third in third, fourth, and fifth grades. In English language arts, the proficient share was around two-fifths in third and fifth grades, and about a third in fourth and sixth grades. In science, tested only in fifth grade, about two-fifths of students were proficient. There is no multi-year trend data available, only this single year of results, so a parent cannot see from this data whether performance has been improving or declining. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

Relative to other school districts in Franklin County, Connell Elementary’s overall proficiency—across all tested subjects and grades combined—places it in the top quartile of the six-district comparison set. That positioning is worth noting, but the county’s districts include a mix of settings, and the top of this particular group still reflects proficiency rates below statewide averages.

The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school serving this grade band. The student population is heavily Hispanic, with White students making up a much smaller share, and very small numbers of students who are Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is an indicator of the economic circumstances many families face. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records.

Connell itself is a small city shaped by its agricultural and industrial base. Major employers include a state corrections facility, a potato processing plant, and agricultural chemical industries. The city experienced population growth over several decades but saw a decline in the most recent estimate. Multiple businesses have left town and few new ones have opened, which gives the local economy a somewhat fragile feel. The school district, however, is a significant local employer. The downtown is modest and walkable in a small-town way, and the school campus sits on the west side of town, separated from the downtown core. Housing values in the area are lower than the state benchmark, making Connell a relatively affordable place to live by Washington standards.

The North Franklin School District voters approved a replacement educational programs levy in early 2024, sustaining local property-tax funding for operations. Separately, voters approved a bond measure for facility improvements across district schools, including safety upgrades, HVAC work, classroom and lab upgrades, and roof replacements. These capital investments may eventually affect Connell Elementary’s physical plant, but the timeline for specific projects at this school was not provided.

For a parent considering this school, the main consideration is straightforward. If a family lives in or is moving to Connell, this is the neighborhood elementary school. The student body is diverse in socioeconomic terms but not in racial and ethnic composition. The academic results are lower than what one would find in many suburban or wealthier districts, and a parent who places a high priority on test scores may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports are in place. The school’s relative position within Franklin County is favorable compared to some neighboring districts, though the absolute proficiency rates suggest that many students are not yet meeting grade-level standards. Families who value a small-town setting, affordable housing, and a school that is part of a district investing in its facilities may find this a reasonable match. Those who want higher measured academic outcomes or a more economically diverse peer environment would likely look elsewhere.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 35% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 38% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 30% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 31% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 35% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 32% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 37% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 38% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 37% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolNorth Franklin 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 4Lower-income28%Higher-income55%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income64%28 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income68%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income77%54 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income55%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income64%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income53%35 pp gap