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

No. Use the Mason 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 Mason 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 Mason County?

Start with the 26 listed public schools and 7 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Mason County Schools & Education

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

Mason County, Washington

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

School Score

48/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

83.2%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

83.2%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,068

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

48/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 51/100

State Score Position

#20

of 39 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Mason County

Measured School Summary

Mason County has midrange measured school signals (score: 48/100) with a graduation rate of 83.2%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Mason County spends $9,068 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 5% below the Washington average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 2% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Mason 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

26 public schools and 7 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

48/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #20 of 39 Washington counties with school score data.

Completion

83.2%

1.8 pts above the state average

Funding context

$9,068

$182 below the state average

School coverage

7 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Mason County has 26 public schools across 7 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 Mason 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.

Mixed school landscape

Mason County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#20

of 39 Washington counties with school score data. The county score is 3 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.

Shelton School District

Elementary to high school visible

4,540 students

Elementary 3Middle 2High 5Other 0

10 listed schools in this county slice.

North Mason School District

Elementary to high school visible

2,309 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 2Other 3

8 listed schools in this county slice.

Pioneer School District

Elementary and middle visible

759 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 0Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Hood Canal School District

Elementary school only in this slice

346 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Shelton School District is the largest listed district slice, with 10 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 Mason County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Mason 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 Mason County, Washington

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.

Developing the Next Generation

Mason County features 26 public schools serving 8,573 students across seven districts. The system includes 10 elementary and eight high schools, providing a comprehensive education path. The county balances a mix of town-based centers and remote rural schoolhouses.

Shelton and North Mason Districts

The Shelton School District is the largest, managing 10 schools and 4,540 students. North Mason School District serves another 2,309 students across eight schools. These traditional districts provide the vast majority of local education, as there are no charter schools in the county.

A Mix of Town and Rural Learning

The county is split between 14 town schools and 12 rural schools, with an average enrollment of 357 students. Shelton High School is the most prominent facility, serving 1,473 students and acting as a central community hub. This mix offers families a choice between larger town campuses and smaller country schools.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Mason County

Reported Enrollment

8,573

26 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary10

Middle4

High8

Other4

7 School Districts in Mason County

Shelton School District

North Mason School District

8 schools

2,309 students

Pioneer School District

3 schools

759 students

Hood Canal School District

1 school

346 students

Grapeview School District

1 school

241 students

Southside School District

1 school

195 students

Centralia College

1 school

0 students

26 Public Schools in Mason 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

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Showing 20 of 26 matching schools

Public schools in Mason County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Shelton High School	Profile	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	9–12	High	1,473
Mountain View Elementary	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	PK–4	Primary	676
North Mason Senior High School	Record	North Mason School District	Belfair, 98528Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	663
Oakland Bay Junior High School	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	7–8	Middle	616
Olympic Middle School	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	5–6	Middle	538
Sand Hill Elementary	Record	North Mason School District	Belfair, 98528Town: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	534
Bordeaux Elementary School	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	KG–4	Primary	504
Pioneer Elementary School	Record	Pioneer School District	SHELTON, 98584Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	503
Hawkins Middle School	Record	North Mason School District	Belfair, 98528Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	474
Belfair Elementary	Record	North Mason School District	Belfair, 98528Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	461
Evergreen Elementary School	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	PK–4	Primary	429
Hood Canal Elementary School	Record	Hood Canal School District	Shelton, 98584Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	346
Grapeview Elementary & Middle School	Record	Grapeview School District	Grapeview, 98546Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	241
Pioneer Middle School	Record	Pioneer School District	SHELTON, 98584Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	241
Southside Elementary	Record	Southside School District	SHELTON, 98584Town: Distant	KG–7	Primary	195
Choice Middle and High School	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	7–12	Alternative	185
Mary M. Knight School	Record	Mary M Knight School District	Elma, 98541Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	183
North Mason Homelink Program	Record	North Mason School District	Belfair, 98528Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Alternative	105
Cedar High School	Record	Shelton School District	Shelton, 98584Town: Distant	9–12	High	92
James A. Taylor High School	Record	North Mason School District	Belfair, 98528Rural: Fringe	9–12	Alternative	46

Shelton High School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

Profile9–12High1,473 students

Mountain View Elementary

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary676 students

North Mason Senior High School

North Mason School District

Belfair, 98528 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High663 students

Oakland Bay Junior High School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

Record7–8Middle616 students

Olympic Middle School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

Record5–6Middle538 students

Sand Hill Elementary

North Mason School District

Belfair, 98528 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary534 students

Bordeaux Elementary School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–4Primary504 students

Pioneer Elementary School

Pioneer School District

SHELTON, 98584 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary503 students

Hawkins Middle School

North Mason School District

Belfair, 98528 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle474 students

Belfair Elementary

North Mason School District

Belfair, 98528 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary461 students

Evergreen Elementary School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary429 students

Hood Canal Elementary School

Hood Canal School District

Shelton, 98584 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary346 students

Grapeview Elementary & Middle School

Grapeview School District

Grapeview, 98546 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary241 students

Pioneer Middle School

Pioneer School District

SHELTON, 98584 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle241 students

Southside Elementary

Southside School District

SHELTON, 98584 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–7Primary195 students

Choice Middle and High School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

Record7–12Alternative185 students

Mary M. Knight School

Mary M Knight School District

Elma, 98541 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other183 students

North Mason Homelink Program

North Mason School District

Belfair, 98528 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–12Alternative105 students

Cedar High School

Shelton School District

Shelton, 98584 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High92 students

James A. Taylor High School

North Mason School District

Belfair, 98528 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12Alternative46 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,068

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Mason 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 Mason County?

Mason County has a school score of 48/100, which is a midrange 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 Mason County?

The high school graduation rate in Mason County is 83.2%, 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 Mason County spend per student?

Mason County spends $9,068 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 Mason County, Washington — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Mason County, Washington?

What are the major school districts in Mason County, Washington?

What is the school experience like in Mason County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

San Juan County

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0 pts

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School score

Grays Harbor County

Washington

-0 pts

48/100

School score

Skagit County

Washington

-0 pts

48/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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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