Barnes Elementary

Barnes Elementary operates as a reasonably sized K-5 school in Kelso, Washington, one of the schools within Kelso School District. Current enrollment sits at 343 students spanning grades K through 5.

Barnes Elementary is one of 13 schools operated by Kelso School District, a district that enrolls 4,960 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Barnes Elementary records that White students make up the majority at 61%. Other groups include 26% Hispanic, 7% Pacific Islander, 5% multiracial. By comparison, Cowlitz County as a whole is about 83% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.7:1. The state averages about 17.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 78% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Cowlitz County runs at roughly 58%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

Zooming out to the county, Cowlitz County reports that the typical household earns roughly $76,531 per year, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Barnes Elementary is one of 48 public schools in Cowlitz County (combined enrollment of about 17,080 students).

Huntington Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The school occupies an inner-city site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 8%: 373 students in 2018 compared to 343 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 74% to 61%.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Barnes Elementary typically covers classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.