Castle Rock School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Castle Rock, Washington - 4 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Castle Rock School District #151 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,883 per pupil, Castle Rock School District ranks #270 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,508
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$14,883
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Castle Rock School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,508 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Cowlitz County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,883 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending. See how Washington compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 14.9% local, 75.5% state, and 9.6% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 42/100, ranked #151 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 423.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.3% White, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Castle Rock High School, with a diversity index of 29.5/100.

Its largest campus is Castle Rock Elementary, enrolling 733 students (49% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Castle Rock Virtual Academy, at 13 students, a 56x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Castle Rock Elementary accounts for 48.6% of all Castle Rock School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Castle Rock School District a distant remainder — means Castle Rock School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Castle Rock School District school enrollment varies 56× across entities

Castle Rock School District school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 733 students (highest), a spread of 720 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Castle Rock School District student-counselor ratio is 424:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Castle Rock School District chronic absenteeism rate is 21.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Castle Rock School District is typically wider than the Castle Rock School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

9.6%
Federal
75.5%
State
14.9%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
151 / 238
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Castle Rock School District.

White 86.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Multiracial 3.9%
Other 2.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 24.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Castle Rock School District's schools, below the Washington average of 53.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Castle Rock High School 29.5
  2. 2 Castle Rock Elementary 27.1
  3. 3 Castle Rock Middle School 26.7
  4. 4 Castle Rock Virtual Academy 14.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
423.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.2%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Castle Rock School District

School Enrollment
Castle Rock Elementary
733
Castle Rock High School
422
Castle Rock Middle School
316
Castle Rock Virtual Academy
13

How Castle Rock School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Granger School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Vashon Island School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
College Place School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Cashmere School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Nine Mile Falls School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Castle Rock School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Washington

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Seattle School District No. 1
51,238 students · 109 schools · $20,430/pupil
Compare vs Castle Rock School District →
Lake Washington School District
30,991 students · 58 schools · $16,269/pupil
Compare vs Castle Rock School District →
Spokane School District
28,714 students · 68 schools · $17,305/pupil
Compare vs Castle Rock School District →
Tacoma School District
28,311 students · 69 schools · $17,575/pupil
Compare vs Castle Rock School District →
Kent School District
25,586 students · 45 schools · $17,678/pupil
Compare vs Castle Rock School District →

Compare Castle Rock School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Seattle School District No. 1 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Castle Rock School District?

Castle Rock School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,508 students.

How much does Castle Rock School District spend per student?

Castle Rock School District spends $14,883 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #151 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Castle Rock School District?

Castle Rock School District students are 86.3% White, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Castle Rock School District?

Castle Rock School District has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #151 out of 238 districts in Washington.