Preston Hall Middle School

Preston Hall Middle School is a rural-scale junior high in Waitsburg, Washington, run under Waitsburg School District. The school works with 74 students in grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 577 students per school, that is 87% leaner than typical.

Across the 3 schools in Waitsburg School District (309 students total), Preston Hall Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Preston Hall Middle School logs that nearly all students (82%) are White. Beyond that, the school lists 12% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That is meaningfully more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 73%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.8:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 18.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 50% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Walla Walla County (around 63%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Preston Hall Middle School sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 46.7%; actual is 24.6%, a gap of -22.1 points.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Walla Walla County) shows that median household earnings sit near $74,202, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. In all, Walla Walla County runs 33 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,516 students), of which Preston Hall Middle School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Waitsburg Elementary School, around 0.0 miles off. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Preston Hall Middle School comes 5th of 6 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 40.1%.

The campus sits in a countryside setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Preston Hall Middle School has expanded 4%, going from 71 students in 2018 to 74 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 66% to 82% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 18.2:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 today.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.