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Schools›Washington›Kelso
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·KELSO SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 530000300593

Kelso High School

1904 Allen St, Kelso, WA 98626 · (360) 501-1842 · Cowlitz County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,390 STUDENTS
Enrollment
1,390
High
DISTRICT 472 · STATE 573
Student : Teacher
18.8:1
74 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.6:1 · STATE 21.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
54%
753 students
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 51%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 937527%
Grade 1037427%
Grade 1132523%
Grade 1231623%
Student demographics
49%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 68% · US 70%
White
95469%
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 47% · US 43%
Hispanic
27320%
DISTRICT 20% · STATE 27% · US 30%
Black
50%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 5% · US 15%
Asian
151%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 9% · US 6%
Two+
886%
DISTRICT 7% · STATE 9% · US 5%
Native American
212%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 1% · US 1%
Pacific Islander
342%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 2% · US 0%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
70351%
Female
68749%

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Test scores

Smarter Balanced + WCAS 2022-23 . % Met or Exceeded Standard
English Language Arts
47.3%
WA avg 49.0% . -4.2pp since 2014
Math
14.2%
WA avg 39.2% . +0.5pp since 2014

What this means: On the Smarter Balanced + WCAS, Washington's statewide test, about 47 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 14 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Washington schools, those numbers are about 49 and 39. Reading and writing scores are down about 4 points since 2014, while math scores have held steady.

Smarter Balanced + WCAS results by year

School yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2022-2347.3%14.2%
2021-2268.5%22.0%
2018-1965.6%18.8%
2017-1863.3%27.0%
2016-1715.0%9.9%
2015-1614.0%26.7%
2014-1551.5%13.7%
% Met or Exceeded Standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: Smarter Balanced + WCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

Schools most like Kelso High School

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Kelso High School this school1,39054.2%N/A
Mark Morris High School
Longview
91253.4%N/A
Cheney High School
CHENEY
1,49149.6%39.0%
Shadle Park High School
Spokane
1,44556.9%24.6%
Sedro Woolley Senior High School
Sedro-Woolley
1,28047.7%39.6%
East Valley High School
Spokane Valley
91259.2%39.6%
Matched among Washington high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Kelso High School ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn WashingtonIn Cowlitz County
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
14.2%#273 of 321
▼ 64
#6 of 7
▼ 1
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
47.3%#240 of 327
▼ 144
#6 of 7
▼ 4
Enrollment
ranked largest first
1,390#107 of 570#1 of 13
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
18.8:1#86 of 311#3 of 7
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
48.5%#215 of 316#3 of 7
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
54.2%#161 of 386#2 of 7
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked steepest decline first
-13.8%#43 of 164N/A
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
1,390
+105 (+8%) vs 2020
+37% since 1990-91, when it was 1,015
Student : Teacher
18.8:1
was 18.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-251,39073.818.8:154% (753)
2023-241,37976.218.1:160% (834)
2022-231,42473.919.3:161% (866)
2020-211,2857018.4:157% (730)
2017-181,61377.320.9:151% (817)
2015-161,5787321.6:148% (754)
2010-111,6527522.0:142% (699)
2000-011,1395022.8:1N/A
1990-911,0155020.3:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Kelso High School.

Since 2017-18: students down 14% (1,613 to 1,390); teachers down 5% (77.3 to 73.8).

About Kelso High School

As a large high school, Kelso High School serves students in Kelso, Washington. The school's enrollment of 1,390 students covers grades 9 through 12. Enrollment is 143% higher than the average for high schools in Washington, which is about 573.

Kelso High School is one school in Kelso School District, a system of 13 schools with 4,960 students.

White students make up a majority at Kelso High School, at 69%. The remaining students are 20% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 2% Pacific Islander. Census figures show Cowlitz County is about 83% White. Kelso High School's diversity index is 49%, against a US figure of 70%.

Its 73.8 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 18.8:1. This ratio sits 2.7 below the 21.6:1 average for high schools in Washington. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 54%.

Census estimates describe Cowlitz County this way: the median household income is $76,531, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Besides Kelso High School, Cowlitz County has 47 other public schools.

The closest public school to Kelso High School is Kelso Goal Oriented Learning Design, less than a tenth of a mile away. Kelso High School is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles.

In the federal locale system, Kelso High School is coded City: Small, for schools inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.

2024-25 enrollment was 1,390, an 8% gain from 1,285 in 2020-21.

Topics for discussion here include science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.

Cowlitz County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
112,360
Census ACS
Median income
$76,531
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
48
17,080 students

Quick facts

School name
Kelso High School
District
Kelso School District
Address
1904 Allen St, Kelso, WA 98626
Phone
(360) 501-1842
County
Cowlitz County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
1,390
Teachers (FTE)
74
Student–teacher ratio
18.8:1
Free and reduced lunch
753 (54%)
Locale
13-City: Small
NCES ID
530000300593
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Kelso School District
Other schools in Kelso
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Kelso High School
What is the total enrollment at Kelso High School?
Kelso High School enrolls approximately 1,390 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Kelso High School serve?
Kelso High School serves grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at Kelso High School?
Approximately 18.8:1 students per teacher at Kelso High School.
What is the student diversity at Kelso High School?
Student demographics at Kelso High School are roughly 69% White, 20% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is Kelso High School in?
Kelso High School is part of Kelso School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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