Wapato 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.

Wapato, Washington - 10 schools

An equity score of 88/100 ranks Wapato School District #5 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,231 per pupil, Wapato School District ranks #103 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,195
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$18,231
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Wapato School District operates 10 public schools serving 3,195 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 3 high, 2 middle, 1 combined 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 Yakima County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,231 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 4.7% local, 66.4% state, and 28.9% 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 88/100, ranked #5 of 238 in Washington against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 327:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 75.2% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% White, 1.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wapato Online Academy K-5, with a diversity index of 61.1/100.

Its largest campus is Wapato High School, enrolling 853 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Wapato Online Academy K-5, at 6 students, a 142x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Wapato High School accounts for 26.7% of all Wapato School District student enrollment

That concentration means Wapato 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

Wapato School District school enrollment varies 142× across entities

Wapato School District school enrollment ranges from 6 students (lowest) to 853 students (highest), a spread of 847 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

Wapato School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 86.6% 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 — including this one — 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

Wapato School District student-counselor ratio is 327:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Wapato School District is typically wider than the Wapato School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Wapato School District chronic absenteeism rate is 35.5% — 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?

28.9%
Federal
66.4%
State
4.7%
Local

Funding Equity

88
Equity Score
5 / 238
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Wapato School District.

White 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino 75.2%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 1.1%
Other 15.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 37.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Wapato Online Academy K-5 61.1
  2. 2 Pace Alternative High School 50.6
  3. 3 Satus Elementary 47.7
  4. 4 Camas Elementary 42.2
  5. 5 Wapato Middle School 37.7

Programs & Resources

2 / 10
Schools with AP
10 AP courses total
327:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
35.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Wapato School District

School Enrollment
Wapato High School
853
Wapato Middle School
737
Camas Elementary
452
Adams Elementary
394
Simcoe Elementary School
329
Satus Elementary
298
Pace Alternative High School
88
Wapato Online Academy 9-12
33
Wapato Online Academy 6-8
8
Wapato Online Academy K-5
6

How Wapato School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Ellensburg School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Riverview School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Steilacoom Hist. School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Aberdeen School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Quincy School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Wapato 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 Wapato School District?

Wapato School District has 10 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 1 combined, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,195 students.

How much does Wapato School District spend per student?

Wapato School District spends $18,231 per student. The district has an equity score of 88/100, ranking #5 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of Wapato School District?

Wapato School District students are 75.2% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% White, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% African American, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Wapato School District?

Wapato School District has an equity score of 88/100, ranking #5 out of 238 districts in Washington.