The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 41% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Sharpstein Elementary School
Sharpstein Elementary School, part of the district Walla Walla Public Schools, serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in the city of Walla Walla, the county seat and regional hub of southeastern Washington. Walla Walla is a city of contrasts: its historic downtown is walkable, with tasting rooms, retail, and the landmark Marcus Whitman Hotel, while white wheat farms and a wine industry with a large number of wineries spread across the surrounding valley. A major employer is the Washington State Penitentiary, alongside Providence St. Mary Medical Center, the public schools, Whitman College, and Walla Walla Community College. The city’s population has been relatively stable in recent years, with growth driven primarily by the wine industry and tourism infrastructure.
Sharpstein is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school. Its student body is diverse: the largest racial group is white, followed by a substantial Hispanic population, with small shares of students who are two or more races, Asian, Black, or American Indian. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is high, a reflection of the economic context of the neighborhood the school serves. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, with classes spread across kindergarten through fifth grade.
On the most recent state assessments, Sharpstein students showed a wide range of results across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency rates varied meaningfully from one grade to the next, with no single pattern across all grades. In math, the same variability was present: third-grade students posted one rate, while fourth- and fifth-graders each had distinct results. Science, tested in fifth grade, showed a proficiency rate that matched the school’s overall pattern. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades placed it below the midpoint among the county’s districts, though within a narrow overall range. Walla Walla County is a small cohort of seven districts, so the distance between the top and bottom of the group is not large.
Because Sharpstein is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available in the data provided. The school’s academic trend data covers only a single year, so there is no basis for assessing whether performance is improving or declining.
The local economy is anchored by the penitentiary, healthcare, education, and agriculture, and the housing market in the school’s area reflects a moderate cost: home values and rents have shown modest year-over-year increases, and the price-to-income ratio nationally provides a benchmark for affordability. The district itself recently saw voters approve a replacement levy for Educational Programs and Operations, funding programs like honors, band, and arts that the state does not cover. That levy passes for a set number of years and must be renewed in a future vote.
What this means for a family considering Sharpstein is straightforward. This is a school where the student body is economically diverse, with a high share of families on the free or reduced-price lunch program, and where a family will find a mix of white and Hispanic students. State test results are uneven, with proficiency rates that vary by grade and subject, and the school’s overall performance relative to its county peers is a bit below the middle of the pack. There is no multi-year data to show a trend. The community is stable, with a distinct small-city character that combines agriculture, wine tourism, a state prison, and several colleges. A parent may want to visit the school, talk with the principal, and ask about how the school supports students who are below the proficiency mark in reading and math, and about the specific academic programs offered at each grade level.
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