Education

Ki itas County off ers educational opportunities for students of all ages, from preschool to college.

Central Washington University has long been a cornerstone of the community, and is Ellensburg’s biggest employer. e school is known for its internationally accredited college of business, education programs and music department. A new science building for the geology and physics programs opened in fall 2016, and a recent remodel of the Hogue Technology building made it one of the nation’s most advanced facilities for industrial and engineering technology.

On the K-12 level, the Ellensburg School District is the county’s largest, with three elementary schools, a middle school and Ellensburg High School. School districts in Kittitas, Cle Elum-Roslyn, orp and Easton also provide high-quality education to the county’s students.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Central Washington University o ers bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees for more than 135 majors and graduates about 3,000 students a year. e public, fouryear university has eight campuses statewide, with the main campus in Ellensburg.

CWU has an average class size of 20 students and a student-faculty ratio of 18-to-1. Students can take advantage of more than 125 clubs, organizations and associations and 13 varsity athletic teams, cheered on by CWU mascot Wellington the Wildcat. Contact CWU at 509-963-1111 or visit www.cwu.edu.

CWU CONTINUING EDUCATION

Central Washington University o ers a learning extension program for people within the CWU community. e program o ers classes for career training and professional development, certi cated elds, and manages the high school Running Start program. Contact CWU Continuing Education at 509-963-1712 or visit www.cwu.edu/ce.

YAKIMA VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADULT EDUCATION

Yakima Valley Community College’s adult education program in Ellensburg o ers high school diploma and GED programs to adults looking to nish high school. Contact YVCC Adult Ed Learning Center in Ellensburg at 509-201-1269. e center is on Mountain View Avenue.

ELLENSBURG HIGH SCHOOL

Ellensburg High School o ers rigorous academics with several Advanced Placement and Running Start classes. Extra-curricular activities include Bulldogs athletics, fall plays and winter musicals, the Alutant student newspaper, band, choir and orchestra, academic clubs, the Associated Student Body and the National Honor Society. EHS has about 900 students. Contact EHS at 509-925-8300 or visit www. esd401.org/ehs. e principal is Beau Snow.

EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL

Excel High School is an alternative high school program for the Ellensburg School District on the campus of Central Washington University. Students pursue high school curriculum adapted to individual students. Contact Excel through Ellensburg High School at 509-925-8300 or visit www.esd401.org/.

EDUCATION

MORGAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Morgan Middle School has the opportunity to serve the 6th through 8th grade students in our community. We o er a variety of opportunities for students to explore a variety of interests through a rich elective program, advanced courses, and an increasing number of courses available for credit at EHS. Students are encouraged to participate in range of extra curricular programs including athletics and clubs. Morgan Middle School currently houses 750 students. Contact Morgan at 509-925-8200 or visit www.esd401.org/middleschool

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Located across the street from the middle school, Lincoln Elementary School was built in 1949 and remains a school with a central downtown location. e school has about 520 students. Contact Lincoln at 509-925-8050 or visit www.esd401.org/lincoln. e principal is JoAnne Duncan.

MOUNT STUART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Located in northwest Ellensburg, Mount Stuart Elementary School was built in the 1960s and has about 500 students. Contact Mount Stuart at 509-925-8400 or visit www.esd401.org/mount-stuart. e principal is Dan Patton.

VALLEY VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Ellensburg’s newest elementary school, Valley View Elementary School was completed in 1994. e school is near Ellensburg High School and has about 520 students. Contact Valley View at 509-9257316 or visit www.esd401.org/ valley-view. e principal is Rob Mo at.

DAMMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

Damman School District has one school, a historic two-classroom building nestled in rural Ellensburg. Damman School houses almost 35 students in grades K-5. Classes are divided into grades K-2 and 3-5, allowing children to learn at their own pace and move easily between academic levels. Students attend Ellensburg schools after leaving Damman. Contact Damman School at 509-962-9079.

ELLENSBURG CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

e Ellensburg Christian School o ers grades K-8 education with Christian worldview. e private, non-denominational school draws support from more than a dozen Christian churches. It provides a faith-increasing, standards-focused academic instruction. Contact the school at 509-925-2411or visit www. ellensburgchristian.org.

KITTITAS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Kittitas Elementary and Kittitas Secondary schools, consistently win high praise from national ranking groups. Between both schools, Kittitas serves about 630 students. e close-knit community supports the schools’ athletics, community service and college-inthe-classroom programs. Contact Kittitas schools at 509-955-3120 or visit www.ksd403.org.

CHILD CARE HOT LINE

Child Care Aware of Central Washington helps connect parents with available child care providers. Providers regularly call the center to update vacancies in the database.

Parents can call 1-800-446-1114 to learn what options are available nearby.

CLE ELUMROSLYN SCHOOL DISTRICT e cities of Cle Elum and Roslyn combined school district o ers a high standard of learning to about 890 students at four schools: Cle ElumRoslyn Elementary School, Walter Strom Middle School, Cle Elum-Roslyn High School and Swiftwater Learning Center. Walter Strom was named a “School of Distinction” by the state in 2017. Contact Cle Elum-Roslyn schools at 509-649-4850 or visit www. cersd.org. EASTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Easton School, near the border of King and Kittitas counties, is a one-building, grades pre-K to12 school with about 120 students. Located close to Snoqualmie Summit, Easton incorporates the outdoors into students’ learning and is known for its archery program. Contact Easton School at 509-656-2317 or visit www.easton.wednet.edu.

SWIFTWATER LEARNING CENTER

Swiftwater o ers students in Cle Elum-Roslyn schools an alternative path to graduation. Contact Swiftwater at 509-6494990 or visit www.cersd.org/ swiftwater. e school at 4244 Bullfrog Road. KITTITAS COUNTY HEAD START e Kittitas County Head Start/ECEAP program is located at 507 N. Pierce St. in Kittitas. For more information call 509-968-4050.

THORP SCHOOL DISTRICT orp School is a K-12 facility in the small town of orp with about 140 students. orp Elementary School was named a “School of Distinction” by the state in 2017. e award goes to the top 5 percent of the schools in the state with the highest rate of improvement in reading and math scores during a ve-year period. during a ve-year period. Contact orp School at 509-964-2107 or visit www.thorpschools.org.