Can I use Adams County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Adams County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Adams County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Adams County?

Start with the 17 listed public schools and 5 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Adams County Schools & Education

Name: Adams County, Washington Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Adams County, Washington

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

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

76.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

76.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,585

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 51/100

State Score Position

#37

of 39 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Adams County

Measured School Summary

Adams County faces educational challenges with a school score of 40/100 and a graduation rate of 76.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

Adams County spends $8,585 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 22% below the Washington average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 7% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Adams 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

17 public schools and 5 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

40/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #37 of 39 Washington counties with school score data.

Completion

76.6%

4.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,585

$665 below the state average

School coverage

5 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

Adams County has 17 public schools across 5 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Adams 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.

Review-carefully county

Adams County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#37

of 39 Washington counties with school score data. The county score is 11 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.

Othello School District

Elementary to high school visible

4,751 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 3Other 1

9 listed schools in this county slice.

Ritzville School District

Elementary to high school visible

362 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Lind School District

Elementary to high school visible

219 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Washtucna School District

Other grade structure

73 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Othello School District is the largest listed district slice, with 9 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 Adams County?

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

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

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

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

Data Story

Adams County per-pupil spending trails state and national benchmarks

Education data brief for Adams County, Washington.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Public education funding in Adams County is $8,585 per pupil, which is lower than the Washington state average of $9,250 and significantly below the national average of $13,000. This spending level occurs alongside a graduation rate of 76.6%, trailing both the state mark of 81.4% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. The county's composite school score is 39.7, compared to a state average of 50.8 and a national median of 50.0. NCES data shows the county manages 17 public schools, including two alternative schools and zero charters. The Othello School District is the largest provider in the region, serving 4,751 students across nine schools. The student population is distributed across rural and town locales, with Othello High School being the largest individual campus with 1,333 students. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Adams County

Reported Enrollment

5,410

17 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7

Middle3

High5

Other2

5 School Districts in Adams County

Othello School District

Ritzville School District

3 schools

362 students

Lind School District

3 schools

219 students

Washtucna School District

1 school

73 students

Benge School District

1 school

5 students

17 Public Schools in Adams County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 17 of 17 matching schools

Public schools in Adams County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Othello High School	Profile	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	9–12	High	1,333
McFarland Middle School	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	720
Scootney Springs Elementary	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	615
Hiawatha Elementary School	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	602
Wahitis Elementary School	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Rural: Fringe	KG–6	Primary	582
Lutacaga Elementary	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	574
Early Childhood Center	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	PK	Other	202
Ritzville Grade School	Record	Ritzville School District	Ritzville, 99169Rural: Remote	KG–5	Primary	154
Lind Elementary School	Record	Lind School District	Lind, 99341Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	116
Ritzville High School	Record	Ritzville School District	Ritzville, 99169Rural: Remote	9–12	High	114
Desert Oasis High School	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	9–12	Alternative	100
Lind Ritzville Middle School	Record	Ritzville School District	LInd, 99341Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	94
Washtucna Elementary/High School	Record	Washtucna School District	Washtucna, 99371Rural: Remote	PK–12	Other	73
Lind-Ritzville Middle School	Record	Lind School District	Lind, 99341Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	53
Lind-Ritzville High School	Record	Lind School District	Ritzville, 99169Rural: Remote	9–12	High	50
Open Door Re-Engagement	Record	Othello School District	Othello, 99344Town: Distant	9–12	Alternative	23
Benge Elementary	Record	Benge School District	Benge, 99105Rural: Remote	KG–6	Primary	5

Othello High School

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

Profile9–12High1,333 students

McFarland Middle School

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle720 students

Scootney Springs Elementary

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary615 students

Hiawatha Elementary School

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary602 students

Wahitis Elementary School

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–6Primary582 students

Lutacaga Elementary

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary574 students

Early Childhood Center

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

RecordPKOther202 students

Ritzville Grade School

Ritzville School District

Ritzville, 99169 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary154 students

Lind Elementary School

Lind School District

Lind, 99341 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary116 students

Ritzville High School

Ritzville School District

Ritzville, 99169 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High114 students

Desert Oasis High School

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

Record9–12Alternative100 students

Lind Ritzville Middle School

Ritzville School District

LInd, 99341 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle94 students

Washtucna Elementary/High School

Washtucna School District

Washtucna, 99371 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–12Other73 students

Lind-Ritzville Middle School

Lind School District

Lind, 99341 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle53 students

Lind-Ritzville High School

Lind School District

Ritzville, 99169 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High50 students

Open Door Re-Engagement

Othello School District

Othello, 99344 / Town: Distant

Record9–12Alternative23 students

Benge Elementary

Benge School District

Benge, 99105 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary5 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,585

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Adams 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 Washington counties have the highest graduation rates?

Wahkiakum County (95.0%), Lincoln County (91.7%), and Garfield County (90.0%) currently lead Washington 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 Washington?

Across Washington counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,250. The highest current county values are Skamania County ($10,545), Ferry County ($10,380), and Pend Oreille County ($10,253). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Adams County?

Adams County has a school score of 40/100, 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 Adams County?

The high school graduation rate in Adams County is 76.6%, 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 Adams County spend per student?

Adams County spends $8,585 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Asotin County

Washington

-0 pts

40/100

School score

Yakima County

Washington

+1 pts

41/100

School score

Pacific County

Washington

+2 pts

42/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed 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.

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