Enrollment
1,390
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Kelso, WA
Kelso High School
Federal NCES profile for Kelso High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530000300593
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kelso High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #5 of 11
- public schools in Kelso · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Washington
- 52.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Kelso High School has class sizes larger than 72% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kelso High School ranks #5 of 11 public schools in Kelso, WA.
School address
District: Kelso School District · Washington
NCES ID 530000300593 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.8%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kelso High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kelso High School
Kelso High School is a higher-need, large high school in Kelso, Washington, enrolling 1,390 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,390 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 85 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Kelso School District also operates Lexington Elementary (854 students) and Huntington Middle School (559 students) alongside Kelso High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Kelso High School compares
Kelso High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.8% | ▲ 17% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,390 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,390
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 72% in Washington - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,945
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.9 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 90 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 68.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
Two or More 6.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 68.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Kelso High School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kelso School District, which includes Kelso High School.
$15,945
Per student
-18%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.1%
State 73.0%
Federal 12.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Kelso High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Huntington Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coweeman Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Butler Acres Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Barnes Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kelso High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,390 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kelso High School's federal record.
- Compare Kelso High School against another school. Compare schools
- Kelso School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Kelso High School
How many students attend Kelso High School?
Kelso High School has 1,390 students enrolled. It is a high school in Kelso, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kelso High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kelso High School is 19:1, which is 8% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kelso High School?
52.8% of students at Kelso High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kelso High School?
The largest demographic group at Kelso High School is White at 68.6% of enrollment, in Kelso, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kelso High School?
Kelso High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kelso High School rank among public schools in Kelso?
By Resource Investment Index, Kelso High School ranks #5 of 11 public schools in Kelso, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Kelso on the city page.
Is Kelso High School a good school?
Kelso High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Kelso School District?
Besides Kelso High School, Kelso School District also operates Lexington Elementary (854 students), Huntington Middle School (559 students), and Coweeman Middle School (501 students). See the Kelso School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.