Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln High School
Lincoln High School is an alternative school serving grades six through twelve in the Walla Walla Public Schools district, though in practice the enrollment data shows it operating as a high school only, with students in grades nine through twelve. The school is small, with about that size for a secondary school, and it serves a student body where a very substantial share qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white and Hispanic, with small numbers of students from other backgrounds.
As an alternative school, Lincoln High School is designed for students who benefit from a learning environment different from a traditional comprehensive high school. Alternative schools often serve students who are credit-deficient, at risk of dropping out, or who need smaller class sizes and more individualized support. The high concentration of economic disadvantage suggests that many students come from households facing significant financial stress, and the school’s mission likely centers on providing flexible pathways to graduation for students who have not thrived in conventional settings.
State testing data offers a limited picture. For the 2022-23 school year, math assessment results for grades six through eight were suppressed, which is common when a student group is too small to report without compromising privacy; given that no students were enrolled in those grades that year, that absence is expected. For the 2024-25 school year, English language arts proficiency stood at roughly a fifth of students, and science proficiency was near a quarter. These are the only available academic performance results, and they come from a single year, so no trend can be drawn. No graduation rate data was reported for Lincoln High School within the available records; this is not unusual for alternative schools, which may use extended timelines or alternative completion criteria that do not fit the standard four-year cohort calculation. A parent considering this school should ask the district directly about graduation outcomes and the specific pathways offered.
The school belongs to the Walla Walla Public Schools district, which serves the city of Walla Walla and surrounding areas. Walla Walla is the county seat and a regional hub in southeastern Washington, with a historic downtown, a strong agricultural economy centered on wheat and wine, and major employers including the Washington State Penitentiary, Providence St. Mary Medical Center, and Whitman College. The city has a compact downtown core that is walkable, with tasting rooms, restaurants, and the Marcus Whitman Hotel contributing to a modest tourism sector. Housing values in the area sit below the state median, making the region more affordable than many parts of Washington. Recent growth has been steady rather than explosive, driven by the wine industry and related services. The district itself recently saw voter approval of a replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy, which funds programs like honors classes and arts, though how that levy applies to the alternative school specifically is not detailed in available information.
Lincoln High School is not a school that will appear on typical ranking lists or boast high test scores. Its purpose is different: to provide a supportive setting for students who need a second chance or a different approach to earn a diploma. The proficiency numbers are low relative to state averages, but they reflect a student population that entered with significant challenges. A parent considering this school should visit, talk to staff about credit recovery options, student support services, and post-graduation outcomes, and determine whether the environment matches their child’s specific academic and social needs. The available data does not include information on course offerings, staffing ratios, disciplinary climate, or college and career programming, so those are important questions to raise directly with the school or district.
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