Is Columbia High School a good school?

Columbia High School ranks 224 th of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Columbia High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 358 students attended Columbia High School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia High School?

Students at Columbia High School are 61% White, 32% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Columbia High School?

Columbia High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Hulan L Whitson Elementary Middle : Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School Middle : Wayne M Henkle Middle School

Columbia High School

Summary:

Columbia High School is a public high school serving 365 students in grades 9-12 in White Salmon, Washington, which is part of the White Salmon Valley School District. The school has a relatively diverse student population, with over 40% of students identifying as Hispanic or another minority race.

While Columbia High School has maintained a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 88.5% to 94.3% in recent years, it has also seen an increase in its dropout rate, rising from 4.4% in 2018-2019 to 9.8% in 2022-2023. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are generally lower than the state and district averages, with the exception of 10th-grade ELA scores, which have been consistently higher. Compared to nearby schools like Stevenson High School and Trout Lake School, Columbia High School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 38.46% to 45.21% in recent years.

Over the years, Columbia High School's statewide ranking has declined, from a high of 132 out of 423 high schools in 2009-2010 to a low of 224 out of 437 high schools in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school's performance may be declining relative to other high schools in the state. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with White students consistently outperforming Hispanic students, who rank in the bottom 10% of high schools in the state.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1455 NW Bruin Country Rd
White Salmon, WA 98672

(509) 493-1970

District: White Salmon Valley School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
224^th of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,127

Feeder schools for Columbia High School:

Elementary:	Hulan L Whitson Elementary
Middle:	Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School
	Wayne M Henkle Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 21.0

Number of students: 358

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.9%

Hispanic:

32.4%

Two or more races:

3.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 45.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia High School ranks worse than 51.3% of high schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.5. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Columbia High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.9%), Hispanic (32.4%), two or more races (3.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 45.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia High School is 21. (See more...)

Compare Columbia High School employs 17 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia High School is $18,127.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia High School 224^th of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Columbia High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

White Salmon Valley School District:

SchoolDigger ranks White Salmon Valley School District 100^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia High School

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Rank History for all students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	57.39	185^th	390	52.6%
2005	71.53	104^th	394	73.6%
2006	76.32	80^th	395	79.7%
2007	62.43	160^th	399	59.9%
2008	56.91	196^th	396	50.5%
2009	75.53	81^st	402	79.9%
2010	69.40	132^nd	423	68.8%
2011	53.84	197^th	440	55.2%
2012	43.79	279^th	450	38.0%
2013	47.52	276^th	454	39.2%
2019	39.17	268^th	417	35.7%
2021	55.51	181^st	455	60.2%
2022	51.52	201^st	434	53.7%
2023	46.07	234^th	442	47.1%
2024	46.50	224^th	437	48.7%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	52.44	27^th	65	58.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	41.95	211^th	344	38.7%
2021	48.65	183^rd	392	53.3%
2022	29.40	275^th	370	25.7%
2023	20.30	313^th	362	13.5%
2024	31.30	258^th	356	27.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	60.55	104^th	243	57.2%
2019	32.45	257^th	358	28.2%
2021	44.74	202^nd	390	48.2%
2022	29.61	271^st	368	26.4%
2023	45.81	189^th	357	47.1%
2024	57.73	130^th	347	62.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	42.50	210^th	355	40.8%
2021	59.97	132^nd	395	66.6%
2022	59.60	143^rd	363	60.6%
2023	39.88	214^th	358	40.2%
2024	30.25	260^th	362	28.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	20.44	206^th	241	14.5%
2021	28.49	201^st	278	27.7%
2022	28.03	198^th	261	24.1%
2023	11.01	243^rd	249	2.4%
2024	12.33	238^th	248	4.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	42.02	233^rd	382	39.0%
2021	63.15	125^th	413	69.7%
2022	78.10	66^th	390	83.1%
2023	52.40	174^th	379	54.1%
2024	60.03	138^th	374	63.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Columbia High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	298	0	6	12	7	n/a	n/a	323
1989	313	0	9	15	7	n/a	n/a	344
1990	302	0	8	23	8	n/a	n/a	341
1991	305	0	5	31	6	n/a	n/a	347
1992	321	0	8	31	4	n/a	n/a	364
1993	331	1	3	25	6	n/a	n/a	366
1994	323	1	4	29	13	n/a	n/a	370
1995	340	0	2	35	21	n/a	n/a	398
1996	340	0	2	35	21	n/a	n/a	398
1997	370	0	4	48	11	n/a	n/a	433
1998	380	0	3	59	14	n/a	n/a	456
1999	366	0	3	63	4	n/a	n/a	436
2000	371	0	11	66	5	n/a	n/a	453
2001	364	0	12	69	6	n/a	n/a	451
2002	321	3	11	85	14	n/a	n/a	434
2003	321	3	11	85	14	n/a	n/a	434
2004	313	3	8	94	11	n/a	n/a	429
2005	308	6	7	96	11	n/a	n/a	428
2006	294	6	8	105	9	n/a	n/a	422
2007	230	1	10	95	3	n/a	n/a	339
2008	225	2	9	97	2	n/a	n/a	335
2009	213	2	8	112	2	n/a	n/a	337
2010	209	2	8	105	3	n/a	n/a	327
2011	200	0	4	123	1	0	22	350
2012	213	1	5	113	1	0	17	350
2013	238	2	7	101	1	0	9	358
2014	238	4	4	105	2	0	8	361
2015	261	4	5	108	2	0	7	387
2016	255	3	2	119	4	0	3	386
2017	251	0	4	128	6	0	6	395
2018	252	0	4	125	4	0	8	393
2019	231	0	5	130	3	0	9	378
2020	223	1	2	126	1	0	9	362
2021	202	0	1	115	3	0	9	330
2022	217	1	3	115	3	1	11	351
2023	215	2	4	121	6	1	16	365
2024	218	1	4	116	3	2	14	358

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbia High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	323	17.0	19.0	0
1989	344	17.0	20.2	n/a
1990	341	18.1	18.8	0
1991	347	17.0	20.4	n/a
1992	364	17.5	20.8	n/a
1993	366	18.4	19.9	n/a
1994	370	17.6	21.0	n/a
1995	398	19.9	20.0	n/a
1996	398	19.9	20.0	n/a
1997	433	20.9	20.7	n/a
1998	456	20.7	22.0	n/a
1999	436	23.3	18.7	n/a
2000	453	23.0	19.7	n/a
2001	451	23.3	19.4	n/a
2002	434	24.5	17.7	35.5
2003	434	24.5	17.7	35.5
2004	429	24.0	17.9	35.2
2005	428	24.5	17.5	36.4
2006	422	22.0	19.2	42.2
2007	339	22.2	15.3	46
2008	335	16.0	20.9	45.1
2009	337	16.0	21.1	37.1
2010	327	17.9	18.2	44.6
2011	350	18.4	18.9	46.6
2012	350	18.2	19.1	47.7
2013	358	18.4	19.4	43.6
2014	361	n/a	n/a	41.3
2015	387	20.0	19.3	40.3
2016	386	20.0	19.3	42.5
2017	395	19.8	19.9	41.5
2018	393	19.8	19.8	39.9
2019	378	19.2	19.6	41.5
2020	362	18.7	19.3	40.6
2021	330	19.2	17.1	38.5
2022	351	20.5	17.1	38.5
2023	365	19.5	18.7	45.2
2024	358	17.0	21.0	45.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbia High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	323	17.0	19.0	0
1989	344	17.0	20.2	n/a
1990	341	18.1	18.8	0
1991	347	17.0	20.4	n/a
1992	364	17.5	20.8	n/a
1993	366	18.4	19.9	n/a
1994	370	17.6	21.0	n/a
1995	398	19.9	20.0	n/a
1996	398	19.9	20.0	n/a
1997	433	20.9	20.7	n/a
1998	456	20.7	22.0	n/a
1999	436	23.3	18.7	n/a
2000	453	23.0	19.7	n/a
2001	451	23.3	19.4	n/a
2002	434	24.5	17.7	35.5
2003	434	24.5	17.7	35.5
2004	429	24.0	17.9	35.2
2005	428	24.5	17.5	36.4
2006	422	22.0	19.2	42.2
2007	339	22.2	15.3	46
2008	335	16.0	20.9	45.1
2009	337	16.0	21.1	37.1
2010	327	17.9	18.2	44.6
2011	350	18.4	18.9	46.6
2012	350	18.2	19.1	47.7
2013	358	18.4	19.4	43.6
2014	361	n/a	n/a	41.3
2015	387	20.0	19.3	40.3
2016	386	20.0	19.3	42.5
2017	395	19.8	19.9	41.5
2018	393	19.8	19.8	39.9
2019	378	19.2	19.6	41.5
2020	362	18.7	19.3	40.6
2021	330	19.2	17.1	38.5
2022	351	20.5	17.1	38.5
2023	365	19.5	18.7	45.2
2024	358	17.0	21.0	45.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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