schoolsbycounty

Wasco County Schools & Education

School Score

36/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

83.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

83.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,620

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,886

School Score

36/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 41/100

State Score Position

#23

of 36 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Wasco County

Measured School Summary

Wasco County faces educational challenges with a school score of 36/100 and a graduation rate of 83.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,620 per pupil, Wasco County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 12% below the Oregon average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Wasco County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

11 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

36/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #23 of 36 Oregon counties with school score data.

Completion

83.1%

0.8 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,620

$266 below the state average

School coverage

11

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Wasco County has 11 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Wasco County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

North Wasco County SD 21 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 7 of 11 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#23

of 36 Oregon counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

North Wasco County SD 21

Elementary to high school visible

2,841 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Dufur SD 29

Other grade structure

329 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

South Wasco County SD 1

Elementary and high visible

224 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

North Wasco County SD 21 is the largest listed district slice, with 7 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Wasco County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Wasco County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Wasco County, Oregon

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Wasco’s Education Infrastructure

Wasco County supports 3,412 students across 11 public schools, including six elementary and two high schools. Three districts manage this network, ensuring that academic resources reach every corner of the county's varied terrain.

Leading Districts and Charter Options

North Wasco County SD 21 serves as the educational hub, enrolling 2,841 students across seven different schools. The county also offers school choice through one charter school, which represents approximately 9.1% of all local educational facilities.

A Mix of Town and Country Schools

Wasco County schools are split between six town-based and five rural locales, with an average enrollment of 310 students per school. Students attend facilities ranging from the 810-student The Dalles High School to the more intimate Dufur School, which serves 329 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

School Overview

Total Schools

11

in Wasco County

Reported Enrollment

3,412

11 schools reporting

School Districts

3

districts

Charter Schools

1

9% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6
Middle1
High2
Other2

3 School Districts in Wasco County

North Wasco County SD 21

7 schools
2,841 students

Dufur SD 29

1 school
329 students

South Wasco County SD 1

2 schools
224 students

11 Public Schools in Wasco County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 11 of 11 matching schools

The Dalles High School

North Wasco County SD 21

The Dalles, 97058 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High810 students

The Dalles Middle School

North Wasco County SD 21

The Dalles, 97058 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle557 students

Dry Hollow Elementary School

North Wasco County SD 21

The Dalles, 97058 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary423 students

Chenowith Elementary School

North Wasco County SD 21

The Dalles, 97058 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary384 students

Dufur School

Dufur SD 29

Dufur, 97021 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–12Other329 students

Colonel Wright Elementary School

North Wasco County SD 21

The Dalles, 97058 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary292 students

Innovations Academy

North Wasco County SD 21

The Dalles, 97058 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–12Other202 students

Mosier Community School

North Wasco County SD 21

Mosier, 97040 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Charter173 students

Maupin Elementary School

South Wasco County SD 1

Maupin, 97037 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary112 students

South Wasco County High School

South Wasco County SD 1

Maupin, 97037 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High112 students

Big Muddy Elementary

Jefferson County SD 509J

Madras, 97741 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary18 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,620

State avg $7,886

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Wasco County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Oregon counties have the highest graduation rates?
Hood River County (92.0%), Morrow County (91.8%), and Lake County (91.0%) currently lead Oregon among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Oregon?
Across Oregon counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,886. The highest current county values are Wallowa County ($10,680), Gilliam County ($10,676), and Grant County ($10,655). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Wasco County?
Wasco County has a school score of 36/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Wasco County?
The high school graduation rate in Wasco County is 83.1%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Wasco County spend per student?
Wasco County spends $7,620 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Wasco County, Oregon — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Wasco County, Oregon?

Wasco County supports 3,412 students across 11 public schools, including six elementary and two high schools. Three districts manage this network, ensuring that academic resources reach every corner of the county's varied terrain.

What are the major school districts in Wasco County, Oregon?

North Wasco County SD 21 serves as the educational hub, enrolling 2,841 students across seven different schools. The county also offers school choice through one charter school, which represents approximately 9.1% of all local educational facilities.

What is the school experience like in Wasco County?

Wasco County schools are split between six town-based and five rural locales, with an average enrollment of 310 students per school. Students attend facilities ranging from the 810-student The Dalles High School to the more intimate Dufur School, which serves 329 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.