The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Science. The lowest is 27% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ocosta Elementary School
Ocosta Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the small coastal community of Westport, Washington, on a peninsula at the mouth of Grays Harbor. The town's economy is rooted in commercial fishing, shellfish harvesting, seafood processing, and boat building, with tourism adding a seasonal overlay through surfing and charter fishing. The school is part of the Ocosta School District, which also operates a junior-senior high school. The elementary campus itself is notable for being the site of the first publicly funded vertical tsunami shelter in North America, completed several years ago, a feature that reflects the area's coastal risk profile.
The student body is smaller than many elementary schools in the region, drawing from Westport and the surrounding unincorporated areas of Grays Harbor County. A substantial share of students come from low-income households, as reflected in the free- and reduced-price meal data. The composition is predominantly white, with a significant Hispanic population and smaller representations of students who identify as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and other groups. Information on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner support was not available in the data provided; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, performance in English language arts across grades three through six showed roughly a third of students meeting the proficiency standard, with some variation by grade. In mathematics, around a quarter of students in each tested grade reached the proficiency bar. Fifth-grade science results were in a similar range, with about two-fifths of students scoring at proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint relative to other school districts in Grays Harbor County. This pattern suggests that while many students are developing foundational skills, a significant portion are not yet meeting state benchmarks, and families may want to explore what academic interventions or supports the school offers.
The district recently made several changes that affect Ocosta Elementary. Voters approved a replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy in early 2024, which provides a substantial share of the district's operating budget and supports staffing, transportation, technology, and extracurricular programs. The elementary school also adopted Amplify CKLA as its K-5 English language arts curriculum for the 2024-2025 school year, a science-of-reading-based approach that represents a shift in how reading is taught. At the secondary level, the district expanded career and technical education offerings with a marine technology and fisheries program, though that does not directly affect elementary students.
Housing in Westport is relatively affordable compared to Washington state averages. Home values are modest, and the community has seen a slight population increase in recent years, alongside investments in tourism infrastructure and a planned community tsunami evacuation tower near the marina funded by a federal grant. The town is low-density and car-dependent, with commercial activity concentrated around the marina district rather than near the school campus.
For a parent considering Ocosta Elementary, the picture is one of a small, community-rooted school serving a modestly sized student population with significant economic need. Academic proficiency rates are below county averages, but the district has taken recent steps to update its elementary literacy curriculum and secure operating levy funding. The school's coastal setting and the district's emerging CTE programs at the secondary level may appeal to families who see a long-term pathway in marine or trade-related careers, though the elementary experience itself would focus on the new literacy approach and general elementary instruction. A parent would want to ask about class sizes, intervention programs for students below grade level, and the specific services available for the many students from low-income households.
See more original research from School Decision →