Wascher Elementary School

Wascher Elementary School, a middle-of-the-pack elementary school in Lafayette, Oregon, one of the schools within McMinnville SD 40, caters to 371 students, covering grades K through 5.

McMinnville SD 40 comprises 9 schools with combined enrollment of 6,293 students; Wascher Elementary School is among them.

On demographics, Wascher Elementary School records that 59% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 34% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 77% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Wascher Elementary School has 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.3:1. The state averages about 16.5:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 82% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Wascher Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 30.7%; this one delivers 36.1%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Yamhill County indicate median household earnings sit near $90,063, roughly 30% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Across Yamhill County's 34 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,724 students), Wascher Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Dayton Jr High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 2.4 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 7 other public schools cluster around Wascher Elementary School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Wascher Elementary School at 5th of 6; the average score across the group is 42.0%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 14%: 433 students in 2018 compared to 371 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 68% to 59%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 18.9:1 in 2018 to 16.3:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.