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Carl Sandburg Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5
99th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools
Better than 91% of Washington elementary schools
Summary

Carl Sandburg Elementary is a consistently top-rated public school serving about 390 students in grades PK-5 within the highly-regarded Lake Washington School District in Kirkland, WA.

The school stands out for its remarkable strength in science, where over 82% of students are proficient, significantly outperforming both the state average and nearby schools like Helen Keller Elementary and Robert Frost Elementary. It also provides exceptionally effective support for special education students, ranking in the 87th percentile statewide for that subgroup. While performing very well across the board, the school shows an interesting pattern of slightly stronger academic outcomes for male students compared to female students.

Carl Sandburg achieves these strong results efficiently, spending less per student than several neighboring schools while maintaining equal or better outcomes. It is part of a cluster of high-performing local schools, including the similarly high-achieving Peter Kirk Elementary. The school's performance has been remarkably stable over the past decade, firmly keeping it in the top tier of Washington elementary schools.

391
Students ?
15.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$19,101
Per pupil spending ?
8.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 12801 - 84th Ave NE
       Kirkland, WA  98034-2600

(425) 936-2700

District: Lake Washington School District


Students who attend Carl Sandburg Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Finn Hill Middle School
High:    Juanita High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
55.2%
Asian:
15.6%
Two or more races:
14.1%
more
 See top rated Washington elementary schools

 Compare Carl Sandburg Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 94th percentile in 2015 → 91st in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the Washington average (77% vs 48% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 9% of Washington elementary schools
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school77%
District avg78%
Washington avg48%
99th of 1,160
Washington public elementary schools ?
Top 9%▼ down 2 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
19th of 31Elementary Schools in the Lake Washington School District
4th of 247Lake Washington School District among Washington districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202591.099 of 116091.5%★★★★★
202490.4104 of 116891.1%★★★★★
202393.077 of 116993.4%★★★★★
202284.2175 of 116985.0%★★★★☆
202186.9136 of 110787.7%★★★★☆
201987.0124 of 113089.0%★★★★☆
201891.866 of 105493.7%★★★★★
201793.843 of 105695.9%★★★★★
201694.629 of 105397.2%★★★★★
201591.269 of 106793.5%★★★★★
201383.9122 of 110689.0%★★★★☆
201284.4107 of 109790.2%★★★★★
201174.4227 of 109279.2%★★★★☆
201077.3191 of 108882.4%★★★★☆
200982.5125 of 107288.3%★★★★☆
200882.1128 of 106788.0%★★★★☆
200777.5174 of 106983.7%★★★★☆
200675.1211 of 105179.9%★★★★☆
200570.6276 of 103173.2%★★★★☆
200478.0177 of 102682.7%★★★★☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202547.0102 of 18946.0%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202585.6139 of 109287.3%★★★★☆
202486.8129 of 109388.2%★★★★☆
202386.0128 of 109488.3%★★★★☆
202284.0161 of 110085.4%★★★★☆
202189.199 of 100890.2%★★★★★
201985.8122 of 106888.6%★★★★☆
201891.258 of 100494.2%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202592.264 of 109894.2%★★★★★
202492.073 of 109993.4%★★★★★
202395.731 of 109997.2%★★★★★
202283.2168 of 111384.9%★★★★☆
202181.3181 of 102582.3%★★★★☆
201987.5118 of 107589.0%★★★★☆
201891.463 of 99993.7%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202578.146 of 36387.3%★★★★☆
201971.7107 of 56681.1%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202585.3102 of 100789.9%★★★★☆
202485.3114 of 100988.7%★★★★☆
202390.666 of 101193.5%★★★★★
202280.4179 of 103182.6%★★★★☆
202174.8208 of 94377.9%★★★★☆
201976.4224 of 102778.2%★★★★☆
201884.589 of 83389.3%★★★★☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Male (2025)94th percentile+3 vs school
White (2025)90th percentile~ school
Special Education (2025)87th percentile-4 vs school
Female (2025)87th percentile-4 vs school
Asian (2025)46th percentile-45 vs school
By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?
Science83%+33 vs state
English Language Arts79%+26 vs state
Math70%+28 vs state

4.0
3 ratings · 3 written reviews
52
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21
10
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, March 11, 2021

Open Quote We moved here a few years ago monthly because of Sandburg. We have not been disappointed, our kids love going there... Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, March 11, 2021

Open Quote Great facilities, great kids and teachers, love it there Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, September 6, 2019

Open Quote I moved my children from this school after too many issues with lack of rules and follow through. The worst art was that there is zero accountability for leadership when mistakes were made, a simple sorry and we will do better next time would have sufficed. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Carl Sandburg Elementary

Students at Carl Sandburg Elementary are 55% White, 16% Asian, 14% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 2% Not Specified, 1% Pacific Islander, 1% African American.

In the 2024-25 school year, 391 students attended Carl Sandburg Elementary.

Students who attend Carl Sandburg Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Finn Hill Middle School
High : Juanita High School

Yes. Carl Sandburg Elementary ranks in the top 8.5% of Washington elementary schools.


Rate Carl Sandburg Elementary!



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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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