Total enrollment
17,080
-397 (-2%) vs SY 2017-18
Cowlitz County
Washington · Public K-12
Across all districts in Cowlitz County, public schools number 48 and enroll approximately 17,080 K-12 students (21 elementary, 8 middle, and 14 high).
7-year change in Cowlitz County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
47
+2 (+4%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
70%
was 73%
% Hispanic
19%
was 17%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
48
7 districts
Enrollment
17,080
NCES CCD
Median income
$76,531
Below Washington avg
Free/reduced lunch
58.2%
Above Washington avg
Elementary
21
7,709 students
Middle
8
3,770 students
High
14
5,310 students
Combined / other
5
291 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Longview School District
6,382 students · 7 districts in Cowlitz County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Cowlitz County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
17.6%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
8.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.9%
civilian labor
Median age
42
22.5% under 18
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso High School | Kelso | High | 09-12 | 1,390 | · |
| R A Long High School | Longview | High | 09-12 | 926 | · |
| Mark Morris High School | Longview | High | 09-12 | 912 | · |
| Lexington Elementary | Kelso | Elementary | KG-05 | 854 | · |
| Woodland Middle School | Woodland | Middle | 05-08 | 739 | · |
| Castle Rock Elementary | Castle Rock | Elementary | PK-05 | 733 | · |
| Woodland High School | Woodland | High | 09-12 | 667 | · |
| Huntington Middle School | Kelso | Middle | 06-08 | 559 | · |
| Kalama Elem School | Kalama | Elementary | KG-05 | 525 | · |
| Monticello Middle School | Longview | Middle | 06-08 | 525 | · |
| Coweeman Middle School | Kelso | Middle | 06-08 | 501 | · |
| North Fork Elementary School | Woodland | Elementary | KG-04 | 473 | · |
| Cascade Middle School | Longview | Middle | 06-08 | 463 | · |
| Butler Acres Elementary | Kelso | Elementary | KG-05 | 426 | · |
| Castle Rock High School | Castle Rock | High | 09-12 | 422 | · |
| Robert Gray Elementary | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 415 | · |
| Mt. Solo Middle School | Longview | Middle | 06-08 | 401 | · |
| Olympic Elementary School | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 381 | · |
| Mint Valley Elementary | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 366 | · |
| Columbia Elementary School | Woodland | Elementary | PK-04 | 365 | · |
| Toutle Lake Elementary | Toutle | Elementary | KG-06 | 365 | · |
| Columbia Valley Garden Elem Schl | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 362 | · |
| Kessler Elementary School | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 349 | · |
| Kalama High School | Kalama | High | 09-12 | 347 | · |
| Barnes Elementary | Kelso | Elementary | KG-05 | 343 | · |
| Wallace Elementary | Kelso | Elementary | KG-05 | 333 | · |
| Columbia Heights Elementary | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 331 | · |
| Castle Rock Middle School | Castle Rock | Middle | 06-08 | 316 | · |
| Northlake Elementary School | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 315 | · |
| Toutle Lake High School | Toutle | High | 07-12 | 308 | · |
| Saint Helens Elementary | Longview | Elementary | KG-05 | 299 | · |
| Kalama Middle School | Kalama | Middle | 06-08 | 266 | · |
| Kelso Virtual Academy | Kelso | Combined | KG-12 | 216 | · |
| Rose Valley Elementary | Kelso | Elementary | KG-05 | 186 | · |
| Broadway Learning Center | Longview | Elementary | PK-KG | 135 | · |
| Carrolls Elementary | Kelso | Elementary | KG-05 | 107 | · |
| Woodland Alternative School | Woodland | High | 09-12 | 96 | · |
| Longview Virtual Academy | Longview | High | 06-12 | 88 | · |
| Discovery High School | Longview | High | 09-12 | 57 | · |
| Discovery High School-Achieve | Longview | High | 09-12 | 57 | · |
| Yale Elementary | Ariel | Elementary | KG-04 | 46 | · |
| Lewis River Academy | Woodland | Combined | KG-12 | 43 | · |
| Special Education | Kelso | Combined | PK-12 | 19 | · |
| Cowlitz County Youth Services Center | Longview | High | 06-12 | 14 | · |
| Loowit High School | Kelso | High | 06-12 | 14 | · |
| Castle Rock Virtual Academy | Castle Rock | Combined | KG-12 | 13 | · |
| Kelso Goal Oriented Learning Design | Kelso | High | 09-12 | 12 | · |
| Longview Schl Dist Special Svcs | Longview | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Cowlitz County
About Cowlitz County
In Washington, Cowlitz County is a middle-population county of about 112,360 residents. 48 public schools across the county instructs about 17,080 students between them.
In context, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $76,531, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate is around 8%.
Looking at the level breakdown, Cowlitz County is built around 21 elementary schools (7,709 students), 8 middle schools (3,770), 14 high schools (5,310), and 5 combined or other schools.
Longview School District is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 6,382 students across Cowlitz County.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in Cowlitz County has remained close to its prior level since SY 2017-18, moving from about 17,477 students to 17,080. Over that span, Cowlitz County gained 2 schools, going from 45 to 47. Demographically, the White share of enrollment contracted from 73% to 70%.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Cowlitz County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Cowlitz County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data