Mount Vernon 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.

Mount Vernon, Washington - 14 schools

An equity score of 57/100 ranks Mount Vernon School District #82 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,880 per pupil, Mount Vernon School District ranks #97 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,545
Total Enrollment
14
Schools
$18,880
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mount Vernon School District operates 14 public schools serving 6,545 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 3 high, 3 combined, 2 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 Skagit County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,880 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending. See how Washington compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.8% local, 66.5% state, and 13.7% 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 57/100, ranked #82 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 14 schools offering Advanced Placement (37 AP courses district-wide), a 385.2:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 56.2% Hispanic or Latino, 36.0% White, 2.0% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jefferson Elementary, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.

Its largest campus is Mount Vernon High School, enrolling 1,849 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Northwest Career & Technical Academy/a Wa Skills Center, at 43 students, a 43x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Mount Vernon High School accounts for 28.3% of all Mount Vernon School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Mount Vernon 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

Mount Vernon School District school enrollment varies 43× across entities

Mount Vernon School District school enrollment ranges from 43 students (lowest) to 1,849 students (highest), a spread of 1,806 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

Mount Vernon School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 55.6% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Mount Vernon School District student-counselor ratio is 385:1 — 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

Mount Vernon School District chronic absenteeism rate is 20.8% — 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 Mount Vernon School District is typically wider than the Mount Vernon 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?

13.7%
Federal
66.5%
State
19.8%
Local

Funding Equity

57
Equity Score
82 / 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 14 schools in Mount Vernon School District.

White 36.0%
Hispanic or Latino 56.2%
African American 1.5%
Asian 2.0%
Multiracial 2.9%
Other 1.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 51.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Jefferson Elementary 59.5
  2. 2 Northwest Career & Technical Academy/a Wa Skills Center 58.8
  3. 3 Harriet Rowley 58.6
  4. 4 Little Mountain Elementary 56.3
  5. 5 Mount Vernon High School 54.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 14
Schools with AP
37 AP courses total
385.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Mount Vernon School District

School Enrollment
Mount Vernon High School
1,849
La Venture Middle School
663
Mount Baker Middle School
569
Madison Elementary
498
Jefferson Elementary
445
Harriet Rowley
440
Centennial Elementary School
430
Little Mountain Elementary
381
Washington Elementary School
318
Skagit Academy
300
Aspire Academy
154
Mount Vernon Special Ed
152
Mount Vernon Open Doors
84
Northwest Career & Technical Academy/a Wa Skills Center
43

How Mount Vernon School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Tumwater School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Sunnyside School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Longview School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Eastmont School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Snoqualmie Valley School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

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

Compare Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon School District?

Mount Vernon School District has 14 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 6 elementary, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 6,545 students.

How much does Mount Vernon School District spend per student?

Mount Vernon School District spends $18,880 per student. The district has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #82 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Mount Vernon School District?

Mount Vernon School District students are 56.2% Hispanic or Latino, 36.0% White, 2.0% Asian, 1.5% African American, averaged across 14 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mount Vernon School District?

Mount Vernon School District has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #82 out of 238 districts in Washington.