Mesa Elem, Mesa WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Mesa Elem

Mesa Elementary serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade in the small rural town of Mesa, Washington. The school is part of the North Franklin School District. Publicly reported information about the town notes that Mesa originated as a railroad stop and sits at the junction of U.S. Route 395 and State Route 17. The economy is dominated by transportation, warehousing, agriculture, and manufacturing, and the population is heavily Hispanic. The school’s enrollment is small for its grade band, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

State testing data from the most recent school year provides a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates varied by grade. One grade level posted a result that was above half, while others fell below that mark, with a wide range across the tested grades. In English language arts, the results showed more variation, with one grade level at a notably low proficiency rate and others higher. In science, the sole tested grade level showed just over two-fifths of students meeting the bar. Compared to other districts in Franklin County, the school’s overall proficiency across subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile. This is useful context, though the county comparison set is small, and a position at the top of that group reflects a modest range of performance.

A parent considering this school should look into what the variation by grade level means. The data represents a single year’s snapshot, and the school has only a year of this test format available; there is no prior trend to show whether results are moving up or down. The differences between grade-level cohorts could reflect class composition, a new curriculum, or typical year-to-year noise. It is worth discussing with the school how the staff uses test data to identify where students need support, especially in the grade levels where proficiency was lower.

The school is a regular public elementary school, not a charter or magnet. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Information on discipline, staffing, attendance, and special education and English learner populations was not available in the data, so those areas cannot be described here.

In terms of the broader community, the district recently received voter approval for new funding. Publicly reported ballot measures show that in early 2024, voters passed a replacement levy for educational programs and operations, as well as a bond measure to fund school facility improvements including safety upgrades, HVAC improvements, classroom and lab upgrades, and roof replacements. These votes suggest community support for the district’s infrastructure and ongoing operations.

Housing in Mesa is less expensive than the state average, with a median home value notably below Washington’s overall figure. The town’s population has fluctuated, with a recent decline in the official census count, though estimates from other sources suggest some instability in small-population data. The housing stock is limited, and car ownership per household is very high, consistent with a rural setting where most families drive to work and school. No walkability scores or pedestrian infrastructure descriptions were found, which is typical for a town of this size.

Mesa Elementary fits a family looking for a small, rural school serving elementary grades in a district that has recently secured local funding for facilities and programs. A parent may want to visit the school and ask about the support structures in place for the grades where test results were lower, and whether the school offers any enrichment or intervention programs. The school’s size and setting mean that class sizes and individual attention might differ from what a larger suburban school would provide, but that is a matter of family preference.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 35% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 38% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 30% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 31% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 32% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 37% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 38% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median

Science

Grade 541%

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

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 11 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

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income50%17 pp gap