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What's the most underrated thing about La Center Elementary that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
789
Elementary
DISTRICT 456 · STATE 380
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LA CENTER SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 530417000650
La Center Elementary
700 East 4th Street, La Center, WA 98629 · (360) 263-2134 · Clark County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL789 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.8:1
47 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 27.4:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
33%
259 students
DISTRICT 32% · STATE 51%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 18 | 2% |
| Kindergarten | 127 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 126 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 123 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 140 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 132 | 17% |
| Grade 5 | 123 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (127) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (123).
Student demographics
32%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 31% · STATE 68% · US 70%
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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within La Center School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
Smarter Balanced + WCAS 2022-23 . % Met or Exceeded StandardEnglish Language Arts
45.8%
WA avg 49.0% . -8.2pp since 2014
Math
42.8%
WA avg 39.2% . -8.0pp since 2014
What this means: On the Smarter Balanced + WCAS, Washington's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 43 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 8 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 8 points.
Smarter Balanced + WCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 45.8% | 42.8% |
| 2021-22 | 47.5% | 39.8% |
| 2018-19 | 61.9% | 53.0% |
| 2017-18 | 56.8% | 49.4% |
| 2016-17 | 44.9% | 43.8% |
| 2015-16 | 52.9% | 49.3% |
| 2014-15 | 54.0% | 50.8% |
% 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 La Center Elementary
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Center Elementary this school | 789 | 32.8% | N/A |
| Hockinson Heights Elementary School Brush Prairie | 912 | 32.9% | N/A |
| Union Ridge Elementary RIDGEFIELD | 708 | 27.1% | N/A |
| South Ridge Elementary RIDGEFIELD | 758 | 30.6% | N/A |
| Griffin School Olympia | 585 | 31.5% | 59.3% |
| Sunrise Elementary Spokane Valley | 644 | 25.8% | 72.2% |
Matched among Washington elementary 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 La Center Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Washington | In Clark County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 42.8% | #587 of 1,103 ▲ 45 | #28 of 64 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 45.8% | #605 of 1,102 ▼ 56 | #31 of 64 ▼ 4 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 789 | #12 of 1,268 | #2 of 71 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.8:1 | #769 of 1,085 | #43 of 65 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 31.9% | #1,002 of 1,088 | #65 of 66 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 32.8% | #900 of 1,169 | #50 of 69 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +5.9% | #159 of 257 | #6 of 12 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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 2024-25Enrollment
789
+161 (+26%) vs 2020
+61% since 1990-91, when it was 491
Student : Teacher
16.8:1
was 14.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 789 | 47 | 16.8:1 | 33% (259) |
| 2023-24 | 820 | 50.3 | 16.3:1 | 33% (270) |
| 2022-23 | 790 | 46.2 | 17.1:1 | 31% (241) |
| 2020-21 | 628 | 43 | 14.6:1 | 23% (143) |
| 2017-18 | 745 | 40.1 | 18.6:1 | 26% (194) |
| 2015-16 | 684 | 39 | 17.5:1 | 28% (192) |
| 2010-11 | 717 | 34 | 21.1:1 | 32% (227) |
| 2000-01 | 557 | 24 | 23.2:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 491 | 21 | 23.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for La Center Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 6% (745 to 789); teachers up 17% (40.1 to 47).
About La Center Elementary
La Center Elementary is a public large elementary school in La Center, Washington. Students in pre-K through 5 make up the school's enrollment of 789 students. Elementary schools in Washington average about 380 students, which makes this school 108% larger than average.
In La Center School District, 4 schools enroll a combined 1,823 students.
Roughly 81% of students at La Center Elementary are White. Smaller groups are 11% Hispanic and 5% multiracial. The diversity index for La Center Elementary is 32%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Teacher count: 47 full-time equivalents. Student-to-teacher ratio: 16.8:1. The average for elementary schools in Washington is about 17.3:1. Roughly 33% of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Among public schools in Clark County, the average eligibility rate is 43%.
The county, Clark County, is where the school is located. The median household earns about $97,536 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 33% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. The county's public schools total 151, with about 74,406 students.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, La Center High School, is about 0.4 miles. Within five miles are 6 other public schools.
The school's federal locale classification is Rural: Distant.
Enrollment in 2024-25 stood at 789, compared with 628 in 2020-21. Students per teacher increased from 14.6 in 2020-21 to 16.8 in 2024-25.
This community page is for conversations about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Clark County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
516,959
Census ACS
Median income
$97,536
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
151
74,406 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in La Center School District
- La Center High SchoolHigh · 555 students
- La Center Middle SchoolMiddle · 441 students
- La Center AcademyCombined · 38 students
Other schools in La Center
- La Center High SchoolHigh · 555 students
- La Center Middle SchoolMiddle · 441 students
- La Center AcademyCombined · 38 students
Nearby schools
- La Center High School0.4 mi · 555
- La Center Academy0.4 mi · 38
- La Center Middle School0.7 mi · 441
- Wisdom Ridge Academy4.0 mi · 200
- Union Ridge Elementary4.8 mi · 708
- Ridgefield Early Learning Center4.9 mi · 100
Frequently asked questions
About La Center ElementaryHow many students attend La Center Elementary?
La Center Elementary enrolls approximately 789 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does La Center Elementary serve?
La Center Elementary serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Center Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at La Center Elementary is approximately 16.8:1 (47 FTE teachers).
How diverse is La Center Elementary?
La Center Elementary reports a student body of 81% White, 11% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees La Center Elementary?
La Center Elementary is overseen by La Center School District in Clark County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.