Located in the far southeast corner of King County, the 444-square-mile Enumclaw School District includes the cities of Enumclaw and Black Diamond, as well as several unincorporated communities. It enjoys a small-town feel but has stepped up to national and state challenges for education reform.

The district has a full-day kindergarten program and with the help of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, technology has been upgraded throughout the district and the high school transformed into small learning communities.

Superintendent: Mike Nelson was appointed in 2007 to replace Art Jarvis, who left to take a position with Seattle Public Schools.

The numbers: .8% African-American, 1.6% Asian-American, 6.9% Hispanic, 1.7% Native American and 88.2% White; 20.9% low-income; 11.7% special-education; 2.5% ESL.

Funding: Voters passed a 4-year, $33 million levy in 2006.