Washington High School

Washington High School is a senior high of modestly sized scale in Cherokee, Iowa, operated by Cherokee Comm School District, hosting 366 students in grades 9 through 12. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 468 students each, so Washington High School sits 22% below that benchmark.

Across the 3 schools in Cherokee Comm School District (1,163 students total), Washington High School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Washington High School logs that the student body is overwhelmingly White (82%). The remainder reads as 10% Hispanic, 5% multiracial.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Washington High School has 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.3:1, putting Washington High School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 40% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

After controlling for student poverty, Washington High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 72.0%; this one delivers 74.8%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Cherokee County) shows that median household income runs about $71,269, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Across Cherokee County's 8 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,048 students), Washington High School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Cherokee Elementary School, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Washington High School at 5th of 7; the average score across the group is 76.3%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Washington High School has rose 30%, going from 282 students in 2018 to 366 in 2025. The White share of enrollment shrank from 87% to 82% over that span.

Inside the community feed, members of the Washington High School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.