Columbia (Walla Walla) School District

The Columbia (Walla Walla) School District operates three schools in the area: Columbia Elementary, Columbia High School, and Columbia Middle School. While the schools serve a diverse student population, with a significant Hispanic/Latino representation, the district as a whole is underperforming compared to state averages across key metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and dropout rates.

Proficiency rates on state assessments are well below the Washington state averages, with the district's overall ELA proficiency rate at 35.09% compared to the state's 52.63%, and the district's overall math proficiency at 26.05% compared to the state's 41.68%. Columbia High School also had a lower-than-average four-year graduation rate of 86.0% and a higher-than-average dropout rate of 9.3% in 2022-2023.

The high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 56.4% to 58.16% across the three schools, suggest that the district serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, which may contribute to the low academic performance. Additionally, the schools' rankings and ratings on the SchoolDigger website have been declining over the past few years, with all three schools currently rated 1 or 0 out of 5 stars. While the district spends more per student and has higher student-teacher ratios than the state average, these resources do not appear to be translating into improved student outcomes, indicating potential challenges in resource allocation and utilization.