Provides free public education for students in Pre-K through 12th grades, including alternative programs.

Public Education offered at Yakima School District

Preschool programs that are a part of the local public school system and are typically open to all children age three to four who are living in the community. There are generally no other eligibility criteria.

Public Preschools

Educational institutions that provide foundation-level learning experiences in a formal school setting to prepare children age four to five for admission to the graded system of learning. Activities usually include an introduction to the alphabet; learning basic numbers; comprehending and distinguishing between different forms and shapes; memory training; physical coordination; basic music, art, drama and dance as aids to learning through enjoyment; simple science projects; nature study and storytelling.

Kindergartens

Programs offered by schools or school districts that seek to stabilize the educational experience of homeless children by identifying a school that they will attend on a consistent basis throughout the year regardless of the family's current location and by offering the supportive services they need to succeed in their educational endeavors. Included may be transportation between specified community shelter facilities and the child's school; clothing that is appropriate for a school environment; books and other educational materials; and special classes that help the homeless child deal with issues such as personal hygiene and health care in a homeless setting. The goal of the program is to transition the child into mainstream education.

Homeless School Transition Programs

Educational institutions that provide formal instruction for students in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades which focuses on a more advanced study of history, geography, social studies, science, literature, art, music, creative writing, physical education and languages, and which may broaden the curriculum to add a number of elective subjects.

Middle Schools

Public schools that offer the basic elementary or secondary curriculum plus creative electives in an informal instructional setting which features an approach to teaching and learning which emphasizes the students' right to make decisions and that views the teacher as a facilitator of learning rather than as a transmitter of knowledge.  Other characteristics may include cross-age teaching, independent study, individualized rates of progression, open plan schools and unstructured time and curriculum.

Alternative Schools

Programs that provide a graded system of learning in a formal school setting from grades nine or 10 through 12 for adolescents who usually range in age from 13 or 14 to 18. High schools provide formal instruction for students who want to prepare themselves for further education at the college/university level as well as those who prefer to seek employment immediately after high school graduation. The curriculum for students who are planning to terminate their formal education focuses on vocational preparation whereas that for college/university-bound students focuses on providing the required number of hours of instruction in targeted subjects to enable them to meet college/university entrance requirements.

Secondary/High Schools

Local administrative units that operate schools or contract for school services in specific geographical areas.

School Districts

Educational institutions that provide formal instruction for students in the first, second and third grades that focuses on developing the children's understanding and knowledge of the basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic.