White Salmon Valley 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.

White Salmon, Washington - 5 schools

An equity score of 33/100 ranks White Salmon Valley School District #186 of 238 districts in Washington (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,306 per pupil, White Salmon Valley School District ranks #202 of 309 Washington districts by per-pupil spending (Washington districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,114
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$16,306
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

White Salmon Valley School District operates 5 public schools serving 1,114 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Washington. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 2 elementary, 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 Klickitat County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,306 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 24.2% local, 62.9% state, and 12.9% 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 33/100, ranked #186 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 361:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 25.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.0% White, 31.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is White Salmon Academy, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.

Its largest campus is Columbia High School, enrolling 361 students (33% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is White Salmon Academy, at 35 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Columbia High School accounts for 32.4% of all White Salmon Valley School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means White Salmon Valley 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

White Salmon Valley School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities

White Salmon Valley School District school enrollment ranges from 35 students (lowest) to 361 students (highest), a spread of 326 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

White Salmon Valley School District student-counselor ratio is 361:1 — 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

White Salmon Valley School District chronic absenteeism rate is 25.6% — 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 White Salmon Valley School District is typically wider than the White Salmon Valley 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?

12.9%
Federal
62.9%
State
24.2%
Local

Funding Equity

33
Equity Score
186 / 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 5 schools in White Salmon Valley School District.

White 59.0%
Hispanic or Latino 31.9%
Asian 1.3%
Multiracial 6.1%
Other 1.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 54.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across White Salmon Valley School District's schools, about the same as the Washington average of 53.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 White Salmon Academy 59.9
  2. 2 Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School 54.3
  3. 3 Columbia High School 53.1
  4. 4 Hulan L Whitson Elem 51.5
  5. 5 Wayne M Henkle Middle School 51.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
361:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
25.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in White Salmon Valley School District

School Enrollment
Columbia High School
361
Hulan L Whitson Elem
352
Wayne M Henkle Middle School
167
Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School
163
White Salmon Academy
35

How White Salmon Valley School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Washington districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Kettle Falls School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Highland School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Newport School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Valley School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Kalama School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to White Salmon Valley 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.

Compare White Salmon Valley 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 White Salmon Valley School District?

White Salmon Valley School District has 5 schools, including 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,114 students.

How much does White Salmon Valley School District spend per student?

White Salmon Valley School District spends $16,306 per student. The district has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #186 in Washington.

What is the demographic composition of White Salmon Valley School District?

White Salmon Valley School District students are 59.0% White, 31.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for White Salmon Valley School District?

White Salmon Valley School District has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #186 out of 238 districts in Washington.