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Public high school · Kelso School District · Kelso, Washington

Kelso High School

Kelso High School rates 5.1, right at the middle of Kelso School District's high schools, whose rated median is 5.1.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.1this school

5.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the Kelso School District median is 5.1.

#1,750 of 2,251 schools in Washington · Kelso School District: 1 high schools rated, median 5.1

The brief

A high school in Kelso, WA where students score 6 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,750 of 2,251 schools in Washington and 10 of 11 in Kelso School District.

Kelso High School is listed in Kelso School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math15%25 points below the Washington average of 40%2026 SBA
Reading55%4 points below the Washington average of 59%2026 SBA
Proficiency has held near 35% across the 3-year record (2024–2026).2026 SBA; 41 test records from WA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.7
25% of the rating
Academics
4.7
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.7
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 33% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 68% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SBA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 SBA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SBA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 SBA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 98626; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Kelso High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$70,058
Median home value
$339,800
Median rent
$1,169/mo
College educated
14.9%
Homeownership
68.1%
Poverty rate
12.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 98626; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
44
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
41
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,641/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Kelso. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Kelso), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
4 AP courses
6.7% participation · state average 2.8 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
15 sports
6 boys' · 9 girls' · 32 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
60.5%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.6Compare →
  2. 6.1Compare →
  3. 5.4Compare →
  4. Kelso High Schoolthis school
    5.1
  5. 4.9Compare →
  6. 4.3Compare →
  7. not ratedCompare →
  8. not ratedCompare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Kelso High School among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Kelso High School serve?

Kelso High School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Kelso High School?

Kelso High School has an enrollment of approximately 1,379 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Kelso High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Kelso High School is 18.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Kelso High School rank in WA?

Kelso High School ranks #1,750 of 2,251 schools in WA.

What is Kelso High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Kelso High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Kelso High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Kelso High School has 33% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 68% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Kelso High School a charter school?

No, Kelso High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Kelso High School a Title I school?

No, Kelso High School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Kelso High School?

60.5% of students at Kelso High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
1,379
Student-teacher ratio
18.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
76
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Cowlitz County
4-year graduation
91.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#10 of 11
Schools in district
13
District spending per student
$16,984
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
12.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 98626)
26,948
Area average commute
23.4 min
Area median age
40.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Washington Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.