La Center 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.

La Center, Washington - 4 schools

An equity score of 9/100 ranks La Center School District #237 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,516 per pupil, La Center School District ranks #300 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,769
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,516
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

La Center School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,769 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 Clark County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,516 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 25.4% local, 67.7% state, and 6.9% 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 9/100, ranked #237 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 (3 AP courses district-wide), a 408.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 15.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.8% White, 10.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is La Center Middle School, with a diversity index of 33.3/100.

Its largest campus is La Center Elementary, enrolling 789 students (43% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is La Center Academy, at 38 students, a 21x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

La Center Elementary accounts for 43.3% of all La Center School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means La Center 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

La Center School District school enrollment varies 21× across entities

La Center School District school enrollment ranges from 38 students (lowest) to 789 students (highest), a spread of 751 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

La Center School District student-counselor ratio is 408:1 — 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

La Center School District chronic absenteeism rate is 15.3% — 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 La Center School District is typically wider than the La Center 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?

6.9%
Federal
67.7%
State
25.4%
Local

Funding Equity

9
Equity Score
237 / 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 4 schools in La Center School District.

White 82.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 4.2%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 30.1/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 La Center Middle School 33.3
  2. 2 La Center Elementary 31.9
  3. 3 La Center Academy 27.9
  4. 4 La Center High School 27.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
408.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
15.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in La Center School District

School Enrollment
La Center Elementary
789
La Center High School
555
La Center Middle School
441
La Center Academy
38

How La Center School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Royal School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Meridian School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Elma School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Mount Baker School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Colville School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare La Center 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 La Center School District?

La Center School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,769 students.

How much does La Center School District spend per student?

La Center School District spends $13,516 per student. The district has an equity score of 9/100, ranking #237 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of La Center School District?

La Center School District students are 82.8% White, 10.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for La Center School District?

La Center School District has an equity score of 9/100, ranking #237 out of 238 districts in Washington.