Bess Herian Elementary

Located at 305 MONUMENTAL WAY, in CUSICK, Washington, Bess Herian Elementary is an one-room-style elementary school that serves 134 students (grades K through 5), overseen by Cusick School District. Compared to the state average of about 380 students per school, that is 65% leaner than typical.

Cusick School District comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 392 students; Bess Herian Elementary is among them.

On demographics, Bess Herian Elementary records that the most-represented group is White (42%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest reads as 26% multiracial, 17% Native American, 13% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, The school reports having 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.2:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 17.3:1 average. An estimated 72% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Bess Herian Elementary is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 32.1%; this one delivers 45.3%, a residual of +13.1 points.

In the broader community, Pend Oreille County reports that median household income runs about $67,436, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Bess Herian Elementary is one of 12 public schools in Pend Oreille County (combined enrollment of about 1,825 students).

The closest other public school is Home Pride, roughly 0.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Bess Herian Elementary comes 2nd of 6 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 36.5%.

Bess Herian Elementary operates from a rural location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 44%: 93 students in 2018 compared to 134 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 62% to 42% across the same window.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.