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Tri-Cities Education

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Education
The region is known for its advances in science and technology, which have carried over to excellent education opportunities in each of our local school districts, as well as in the opportunities of higher education. There are nine public school districts and 12 private schools in the metro area.

2008-2009 Educational Attainment Estimates
(Age 25+ Population)
High School Graduate 31.4%
Some College, No Degree 23.2%
Associates Degree 10.0%
Bachelors Degree 12.5%
Graduate Degree 7.1%
Source: Demographics Now, August 2010


Post Secondary Institutions – Winter/Spring 2008
                                 Number Enrollment
University/College           2          1,691
Community College          1          8,000
Vocational High School     1          786

2008-2009 School Year   Teacher/Student Ratio
Kennewick                              1:22
Pasco                                    1:23
Richland                                 1:26

2008-2009 Average Expenditure Per Pupil
Kennewick   $8,939
Pasco         $8,355
Richland      $8,884

SAT Scores–2009 Graduates
                                    Reading  Math  Writing
Kennewick School District  489        524   480
Pasco School District        477        504   471
Richland School District     541        561   517
State Average                 524        531   507
National Average              501        515   493
Source: Kennewick, Pasco and Richland School Districts
Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Public Schools

Benton City School District -    (509) 588-3717
Columbia School District -       (509) 547-2136
Finley School District -            (509) 586-3217
Kahlotus School District -        (509) 282-3338
Kennewick School District -      (509) 222-5000
North Franklin School District - (509) 234-2021
Pasco School District -            (509) 543-6700
Prosser School District -          (509) 786-3323
Richland School District -         (509) 942-2400

Vocational Schools

The Tri-Tech Skills Center (509-222-7300) offers classes for students interested in learning a specific vocational trade.  The Center offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to receive skills needed for entry-level jobs while earning a high school diploma.

Private School

Several private elementary and secondary schools offer an alternative to the local public school system.  These institutions include:

Bethlehem Lutheran School & Preschool - (509) 582-5624
Calvary Christian School & Preschool -      (509) 586-8902
Christ the King School -                          (509) 946-6158
Franklin Academy -                                (509) 628-9265
Kingsport Christian School -                    (509) 547-6498
Liberty Christian School -                        (509) 946-0602
St. Joseph's Catholic School -                  (509) 586-0481
St. Patrick's School -                              (509) 547-7261
Tri-City Junior Academy -                        (509) 547-8092
Tri-Cities Prep -                                     (509) 547-8092

Columbia Basin College

Columbia Basin College (CBC – 509-547-0511) offers its 13,000 students a full array of Associate Degree and Vocational/Technical career programs. The College works closely with regional employers to develop specific programs needed to train prospective workers for area businesses.  The Workforce Training Center houses 120 computer work stations and provides state-of-the-art training customized to an employer’s needs.

Washington State University

Washington State University’s-Tri-Cities (WSU-TC – 509-372-7000) branch campus provides its 1,100 students the opportunity to acquire undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of programs.  WSU-TC recently expanded it Tri-City facility to include a Consolidated Information Center (CIC), merging the Department of Energy’s Technical Library with WSU’s existing library to provide public access to years of technical research and knowledge. The University’s long-term vision shows continued expansion.

Mid-Columbia Education Alliance

A non-profit partnership supported by business, community and educational leaders in the Mid-Columbia region, MCEA works to increase public awareness and understanding about Washington's efforts to improve the quality of education for all students.

For more information, please contact:

Executive Director
201 Greenbriar West
Richland, WA 99352
509 737-9102
www.esd123.wednet.edu/mcea

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