Hiawatha Elementary School, Othello WA

Original Research by School Decision on Hiawatha Elementary School

Hiawatha Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Othello, a town shaped by its role as an agricultural and food-processing hub in the Columbia Basin. The local economy centers on potato processing, with major employers including McCain Foods and J. R. Simplot facilities. The town has seen population growth in recent decades, though the area faces a long-term challenge from an increasing shortage of water that threatens the agricultural economy. Civic life includes an annual Sandhill Crane Festival that draws visitors from well beyond the town.

The school enrolls a large student body for an elementary and middle-grade campus, and its student demographics reflect the wider community. The student population is overwhelmingly Hispanic or Latino, with a small white population and a small number of students from other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty context. Data on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or classified as English learners was not available.

Academically, state assessment results for the most recent school year show that proficiency rates in math and English language arts were below typical levels across the grades tested. In third-grade math, about two-fifths of students met the proficiency bar, a rate that dropped to roughly a quarter by fifth grade. Fourth and sixth grade math proficiency fell around the one-third mark. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency was just under three-tenths, with fourth grade similar, while fifth and sixth graders scored around one-third proficient. Fifth-grade science results showed roughly one-quarter of students at the proficient level. Compared to other elementary and middle schools within the same county, the school’s combined proficiency index fell in the bottom quartile, meaning most other county schools posted higher overall proficiency. Since this is the only year of data available for the school under this assessment, no trend can be established.

The school’s parent district, Othello School District, provides some notable context for families. Voters in 2023 approved a replacement operations levy that runs through 2026, funding special education, transportation, early learning, dual language programs, safety, maintenance, and extracurricular activities. The district also approved a capital levy in 2024, called Othlevate, that runs from 2025 through 2027 to fund technology modernization, facility systems updates, and small renovation projects. A district-wide Dual Language program beginning in kindergarten offers instruction in English and Spanish with the goal of bilingual and biliterate graduates, a feature that may appeal to families seeking bilingual education.

Housing in the area is more affordable than the statewide benchmark. The typical home value in Othello is well below the Washington state average, making it a relatively accessible market compared to many parts of the state. Mortgage rates nationally have fluctuated around recent averages, and the national unemployment rate has held steady, though these are broad economic factors rather than local specifics.

For parents considering Hiawatha Elementary, the academic proficiency rates are the central point of fact. They are low relative to both state and county peers. This does not tell the full story about instruction or student growth, but it is a signal a family would want to investigate directly with the school. The school operates a high-poverty, mostly Hispanic student body, and the district has invested in supplemental programs through recent levies, including the dual language offering that begins in kindergarten. A parent looking at this school would likely want to ask about how the school supports students who are not yet at grade level, and whether the dual language program is available at Hiawatha specifically.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 43% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 433%

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

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 36% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 34% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 42% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 36% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 32% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median

This schoolOthello 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-income20%Higher-income60%40 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income58%39 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income67%41 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income64%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income62%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income53%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income57%28 pp gap