Original Research by School Decision on Robert Lince Early Learning Center
Robert Lince Early Learning Center serves pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in the Selah School District, operating as a dedicated early childhood building within a regular public school setting. Because the school covers only grades that are not part of state assessment programs, there are no state testing results to report for proficiency, and the school has no graduation rate, as it does not serve high school grades. For the same reason, the comparison across Yakima County districts does not apply to the usual academic metrics. A family looking at this school will be focused on the early learning environment rather than later academic outcomes that are measured elsewhere.
The school enrolls a substantial number of students for a two-grade building, split between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. The student body is made up predominantly of White and Hispanic children, with smaller numbers of students identifying as two or more races, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a reflection of the economic backgrounds of families in the area. Data on special education and English learner populations were not available in the records reviewed, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports offered for those groups.
Selah sits just north of Yakima and functions increasingly as a bedroom community while retaining a strong identity rooted in fruit processing. It is widely known for the presence of Tree Top’s headquarters and processing plants, and the local economy revolves around orchards, packing facilities, and cold-storage warehouses. The town has grown steadily over recent decades, and its trajectory as an expanding residential base for the larger Yakima area influences the school population and the housing market. Homes in the area carry a value above the national median but below the Washington state benchmark, while rents have been rising at a modest pace. The cost of owning a home relative to renting is notably higher, making affordability a practical consideration for families.
The district itself does not appear to have undergone major changes recently that would affect incoming families; the available records turned up little about bond measures, curriculum shifts, or property tax measures for the Selah School District. That may simply mean the district has been operating on a stable footing without headline events.
For a family considering Robert Lince Early Learning Center, the central fact is that it is an early childhood program in a middle-sized agricultural community with a growing population. The school is the entry point for students into the Selah district, and its high rate of economic need suggests a significant share of children come from households that qualify for meal assistance. Because the school covers only the first two years of formal schooling, there is no testing data to evaluate academic performance at this level, and no program offerings data was provided to describe enrichment or specialized curriculum. A parent would need to visit or contact the school to understand the daily learning environment, class sizes, and early childhood educational approach.
See more original research from School Decision →