Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Vancouver WA

Original Research by School Decision on Vancouver School of Arts and Academics

Vancouver School of Arts and Academics is a regular public school serving grades six through twelve in the Vancouver School District. The name signals a dual emphasis on arts and academics, and while the data does not detail specific arts programs, the school’s identity as a dedicated arts-and-academics institution shapes what families can expect. It is not a magnet or charter school.

The school enrolls a moderately sized student body for a secondary school, with enrollment thinning as grades advance. The student population is predominantly white, with substantial shares identifying as Hispanic and two or more races, and smaller shares of Asian and Black students. Roughly a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that falls below the national average and suggests a relatively more affluent student mix than many public schools.

State assessment results are available only for the middle school grades (six, seven, and eight) because Washington tests those grades in math, English language arts, and science. In ELA, proficiency rates start around half for sixth graders and climb to three-quarters for eighth graders, a pattern that points to solid reading and writing skills. Math results are weaker, ranging from roughly a quarter of sixth graders meeting the bar to just under two-fifths in seventh and eighth grades. Science, tested only in eighth grade, shows about three-fifths proficient. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint when compared with other school districts in Clark County, a positive signal for academic performance relative to the local landscape.

High school testing data, a four-year graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism figures are not reported here, so a parent will want to ask the school directly about those outcomes. The absence of a graduation rate may simply reflect that the data source did not include it, not that the rate is unavailable from the school itself.

The school is part of the Vancouver School District, which serves the city and some surrounding areas. No recent parent-relevant changes to district policies or programming were found in the available research.

Vancouver is a mid-sized city that serves as the county seat of Clark County and sits within the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. It blends historic downtown neighborhoods near Esther Short Park and the Vancouver Waterfront with auto-dependent suburban areas to the east and north. The city has been growing rapidly, with significant annexation and high-density development along the waterfront. Major employers include corporate headquarters, the Port of Vancouver, and healthcare institutions. Housing values in the area are below the statewide median but still elevated relative to national benchmarks, and rents have been trending upward. The city’s fast growth means that new housing development and traffic on the Interstate bridges are ongoing concerns.

For a family considering this school, the package is clear: a focused arts-and-academics environment within a regular public school, solid middle school ELA outcomes, math performance that warrants a closer look, and a student body that is economically mixed but leans more affluent than many. The larger context of a rapidly growing, Portland-adjacent city means the neighborhood and housing market are in flux, which can affect school enrollment patterns over time. A parent whose child is drawn to the arts and who values a school with an explicit creative identity, and who is comfortable with the academic profile described, may find this a good fit. Anyone seeking more detail on high school outcomes or arts course offerings should reach out to the school directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 28% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 24% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 34% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 765%

School 65% · District 38% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 875%

School 75% · District 36% · ▲ 39 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Science

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 35% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

This schoolVancouver 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 5Lower-income70%Higher-income77%6 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income34%Higher-income55%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income53%Higher-income71%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income65%Higher-income80%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income54%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income34%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income47%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income38%0 pp gap