Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School

As a compact elementary school in CATHLAMET, Washington, Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School teaches 272 students from grades K through 8, run under Wahkiakum School District. Compared to the state average of about 380 students per school, that is 28% leaner than typical.

Within Wahkiakum School District, which oversees 2 schools and 399 students, Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School lists that 81% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Beyond that, the school reports 12% Hispanic, 7% multiracial.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 17.6:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 58% of students at Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 41.5%; this one delivers 43.8%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Wahkiakum County) records that the typical household earns roughly $62,653 per year, roughly 22% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School is one of 2 public schools in Wahkiakum County (combined enrollment of about 399 students).

Nearest neighbor: Wahkiakum High School, around 0.2 miles off. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Julius A Wendt Elementary/John C Thomas Middle School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 37.8%.

The campus sits in a countryside setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 18%: 331 students in 2018 compared to 272 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 18.9:1 in 2018 to 17.6:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.