Ellensburg 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.

Ellensburg, Washington - 8 schools

An equity score of 26/100 ranks Ellensburg School District #211 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,747 per pupil, Ellensburg School District ranks #280 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,238
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$14,747
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Ellensburg School District operates 8 public schools serving 3,238 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Kittitas County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,747 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 31 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending. See how Washington compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.8% local, 67.6% 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 26/100, ranked #211 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 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), and 30.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.6% White, 25.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mt. Stuart Elementary, with a diversity index of 55.3/100.

Its largest campus is Ellensburg High School, enrolling 957 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Early Learning Center, at 54 students, a 18x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Ellensburg High School accounts for 28.4% of all Ellensburg School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Ellensburg School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Ellensburg School District school enrollment varies 18× across entities

Ellensburg School District school enrollment ranges from 54 students (lowest) to 957 students (highest), a spread of 903 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Ellensburg School District chronic absenteeism rate is 30.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

9.6%
Federal
67.6%
State
22.8%
Local

Funding Equity

26
Equity Score
211 / 238
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Ellensburg School District.

White 66.6%
Hispanic or Latino 25.0%
African American 0.7%
Asian 1.8%
Multiracial 5.1%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 48.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Mt. Stuart Elementary 55.3
  2. 2 Early Learning Center 54.5
  3. 3 Ida Nason Aronica Elementary 53.8
  4. 4 Lincoln Elementary 46.8
  5. 5 K-12 Ellensburg Learning Center 46.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
10 AP courses total
30.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Ellensburg School District

School Enrollment
Ellensburg High School
957
Morgan Middle School
772
Valley View Elementary School
408
Ida Nason Aronica Elementary
361
Mt. Stuart Elementary
336
Lincoln Elementary
334
K-12 Ellensburg Learning Center
148
Early Learning Center
54

How Ellensburg School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Wapato School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Aberdeen School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
East Valley School District (Yakima) Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Burlington-Edison School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Riverview School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg School District →
Lake Washington School District
30,991 students · 58 schools · $16,269/pupil
Compare vs Ellensburg School District →
Spokane School District
28,714 students · 68 schools · $17,305/pupil
Compare vs Ellensburg School District →
Tacoma School District
28,311 students · 69 schools · $17,575/pupil
Compare vs Ellensburg School District →
Kent School District
25,586 students · 45 schools · $17,678/pupil
Compare vs Ellensburg School District →

Compare Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg School District?

Ellensburg School District has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 3,238 students.

How much does Ellensburg School District spend per student?

Ellensburg School District spends $14,747 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #211 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Ellensburg School District?

Ellensburg School District students are 66.6% White, 25.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% African American, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Ellensburg School District?

Ellensburg School District has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #211 out of 238 districts in Washington.