Zillah Intermediate School, Zillah WA

Original Research by School Decision on Zillah Intermediate School

Zillah Intermediate School serves third through fifth grade in the Zillah School District, a small rural district in the Yakima Valley. The school is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status. The town of Zillah sits in the heart of Washington wine country, surrounded by orchards and vineyards, with a compact downtown centered on First Avenue. The town functions mainly as a residential and commercial hub for the surrounding agricultural region, and its economy is dominated by farming and the growing wine tourism sector. The intermediate school is one of four campuses in the district, which also includes an elementary, a middle, and a high school.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of white students and a small representation of American Indian or Alaska Native students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s enrollment is typical for an elementary intermediate building. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not available in the source records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.

Zillah Intermediate’s state test results show a varied picture by grade and subject. In math, third graders performed well, with a strong proficiency rate. The fourth and fifth grade math proficiency rates were lower, falling below the third-grade mark. In English language arts, third graders again posted a solid proficiency rate. The fourth and fifth grade ELA results were lower. In science, which is tested in fifth grade only, the proficiency rate was below half. When the school is compared with other districts in Yakima County using a combined proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades, Zillah Intermediate lands in the top quartile among those districts. That means it holds a relatively strong position within its county context, even though individual grade-level results show a clear dip from third to fourth and fifth grade.

There is no trend data to examine because only one year of test results was available. A parent evaluating this school would want to understand whether the drop between third grade and the upper grades is a consistent pattern or a single-year fluctuation. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

The school environment data was thin in the available records. There were no discipline figures, course access details, staffing ratios, or attendance numbers to review. The school’s location is rural, and the campus is set apart from Zillah’s small downtown core. No recent district-level changes or strategic priorities were found in publicly reported material.

For a family considering Zillah Intermediate, the key takeaway is that this is a small rural school serving a high-poverty community, where third graders show strong foundational skills in math and reading, but performance drops in the upper elementary grades. The school’s countywide standing is competitive, which is notable given the economic challenges many families face. A parent may want to ask about how the school supports students as they move into more advanced content in fourth and fifth grade, and what resources are available for learners who need extra help. The absence of special population data and trend information means that a closer look at the school’s own reports and a conversation with staff would be wise before forming a full judgment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 81%

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 48%

even with state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 48%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolZillah 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-income64%Higher-income80%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income39%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income58%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income79%Higher-income77%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income54%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income58%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income53%Higher-income67%14 pp gap