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Samantha Smith Elementary

Public Grades K-5

8^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 99% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Samantha Smith Elementary is a top-ranked public elementary school serving approximately 545 students in grades K-5 within the affluent community of Sammamish, Washington, as part of the Lake Washington School District.

The school is distinguished by its remarkable and sustained excellence, consistently ranking in the top 1-2% of Washington elementary schools for over a decade, including a #8 statewide ranking out of 1,160 schools for the 2024-2025 year. It achieves balanced, high proficiency rates across all subjects—nearly 90% in English, Math, and Science—and excels at supporting all student groups, with its English Language Learner program ranking 5th in the state. This consistent performance across grades and subgroups sets it apart from some nearby schools, like Rachel Carson Elementary or Margaret Mead Elementary, which show more variability in year-to-year rankings or subject proficiency.

Samantha Smith operates efficiently, achieving these elite results with a per-student spending lower than several comparable high-performing schools in the area, such as Christa McAuliffe Elementary and Cascade Ridge Elementary. It is situated in an exceptional educational corridor where nearly all elementary schools are top-ranked, benefiting from the strong systems of both the Lake Washington and Issaquah School Districts. For families, the school offers a proven model of reliable, high-quality education that has delivered outstanding and consistent outcomes for every student for years.

545

Students ?

17.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,756

Per pupil spending ?

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

23305 NE 14th St
Sammamish, WA 98074-4441

(425) 936-2710

District: Lake Washington School District

Students who attend Samantha Smith Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Inglewood Middle School
High:	Eastlake High School

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

70.5%

White:

20.2%

Hispanic:

4.4%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Samantha Smith Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (88% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Washington elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Lake Washington School District

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school88%

District avg78%

Washington avg48%

8^th of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 31Elementary Schools in the Lake Washington School District

4^th 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	98.0	8 of 1160	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	97.2	19 of 1168	98.4%	★★★★★
2023	98.2	9 of 1169	99.2%	★★★★★
2022	97.7	14 of 1169	98.8%	★★★★★
2021	99.1	5 of 1107	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	98.0	4 of 1130	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.3	9 of 1054	99.1%	★★★★★
2017	96.6	13 of 1056	98.8%	★★★★★
2016	96.3	15 of 1053	98.6%	★★★★★
2015	96.6	14 of 1067	98.7%	★★★★★
2013	95.1	8 of 1106	99.3%	★★★★★
2012	96.1	4 of 1097	99.6%	★★★★★
2011	96.4	4 of 1092	99.6%	★★★★★
2010	94.4	16 of 1088	98.5%	★★★★★
2009	94.3	22 of 1072	97.9%	★★★★★
2008	95.0	14 of 1067	98.7%	★★★★★
2007	94.0	27 of 1069	97.5%	★★★★★
2006	93.3	27 of 1051	97.4%	★★★★★
2005	93.7	21 of 1031	98.0%	★★★★★
2004	92.7	38 of 1026	96.3%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	91.0	11 of 189	94.2%	★★★★★
2024	89.3	13 of 163	92.0%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	12 of 170	92.9%	★★★★★
2022	88.3	14 of 187	92.5%	★★★★★
2021	91.7	5 of 131	96.2%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	98.1	5 of 303	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	97.8	7 of 320	97.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.4	9 of 254	96.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	98.1	5 of 1092	99.5%	★★★★★
2024	96.8	15 of 1093	98.6%	★★★★★
2023	97.1	18 of 1094	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	96.7	20 of 1100	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	98.8	8 of 1008	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	2 of 1068	99.8%	★★★★★
2018	95.7	19 of 1004	98.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	97.9	10 of 1098	99.1%	★★★★★
2024	97.4	11 of 1099	99.0%	★★★★★
2023	98.2	4 of 1099	99.6%	★★★★★
2022	97.6	9 of 1113	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	99.1	3 of 1025	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	97.8	4 of 1075	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.3	7 of 999	99.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	90.3	49 of 1007	95.1%	★★★★★
2024	89.1	67 of 1009	93.4%	★★★★★
2023	92.0	49 of 1011	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	89.4	67 of 1031	93.5%	★★★★★
2021	96.8	11 of 943	98.8%	★★★★★
2019	88.4	64 of 1027	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	88.2	51 of 833	93.9%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2025)100th percentile~ school

Male (2025)99th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)98th percentile~ school

White (2025)95th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2025)94th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science89%+40 vs state

English Language Arts89%+36 vs state

Math87%+45 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Saturday, September 13, 2014

I graduated from this school a while ago, and I'd have to say it was one of the best schools I've ever been to, and I switched elementary schools quite often. The students might not be the friendliest (as least in my grade), but the level of academic excellence you will achieve is hands down amazing. Close Quote

Schools Near Samantha Smith Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)				SBAC Math (2025)				% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Samantha Smith Elementary	Public	K-5	23305 NE 14th St	Sammamish	98074	King County	Lake Washington School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 936-2710	545	30	17.9	3.3%	110 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	384 (70.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	98	8^th of 1160 public elementary schools	99.3%		97.2	19^th of 1168 public elementary schools	98.4%	11	89.3	89.3	86.9	87.1	92.2	88.8	88.8	86.3	86.4	87.2	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	$16,756	$164	$16,593
Rachel Carson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1035 - 244th Ave NE	Sammamish	98074	King County	Lake Washington School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 936-2750	486	29	16.9	2.5%	120 (24.7%)	9 (1.9%)	18 (3.7%)	302 (62.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.6%)	94.9	48^th of 1160 public elementary schools	95.9%		98	12^th of 1168 public elementary schools	99.0%	36	81.1	81.1	76.7	86.5	78.4	80.7	77.0	93.3	78.7	83.3	91.9	91.9	91.9	91.9	91.9	91.9	96.8	91.9	91.9	91.9	$17,841	$163	$17,677
Christa Mcauliffe Elementary	Public	K-5	23823 NE 22nd	Sammamish	98074	King County	Lake Washington School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 936-2620	472	28	17.1	1.5%	132 (28.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.1%)	274 (58.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.6%)	99.1	2^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	99.8%		98.5	6^th of 1168 public elementary schools	99.5%	4	92.4	92.4	93.5	93.9	95.7	94.4	95.1	96.5	90.2	94.1	96.3	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	96.3	98.2	98.2	$19,243	$163	$19,080
Margaret Mead Elementary	Public	K-5	1725 216th AVE NE	Sammamish	98074	King County	Lake Washington School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 936-2630	580	35	16.3	4.8%	219 (37.8%)	13 (2.2%)	25 (4.3%)	270 (46.6%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	47 (8.1%)	94.1	58^th of 1160 public elementary schools	95.0%		93.4	68^th of 1168 public elementary schools	94.2%	10	72.7	72.7	87.6	87.7	81.7	85.5	85.9	87.7	63.6	78.4	97.1	97.1	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.1	98.6	98.6	97.1	97.1	$16,601	$163	$16,437
Louisa May Alcott Elementary	Public	K-5	4213 - 228th AVE NE	Redmond	98053	King County	Lake Washington School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 936-2490	615	36	17.2	5.4%	98 (15.9%)	10 (1.6%)	48 (7.8%)	436 (70.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.7%)	97.5	13^th of 1160 public elementary schools	98.9%		97	20^th of 1168 public elementary schools	98.3%	7	86.6	86.6	84.6	86.8	85.7	85.7	88.0	88.8	83.0	86.6	95.4	96.6	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.7	100.0	98.9	97.7	97.7	$17,479	$163	$17,316
Discovery Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 228th Ave SE	Issaquah	98075	King County	Issaquah School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 837-4100	508	30	17.0	4.9%	109 (21.5%)	17 (3.3%)	33 (6.5%)	316 (62.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.5%)	97.4	14^th of 1160 public elementary schools	98.8%		96.4	29^th of 1168 public elementary schools	97.5%	15	87.9	87.9	89.2	81.3	87.9	86.4	96.4	82.7	82.2	86.8	94.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	96.2	94.9	94.9	94.9	$18,984	$766	$18,218
Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary	Public	K-5	3225 - 205th PL NE	Sammamish	98074	King County	Lake Washington School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 936-2520	478	29	16.6	5.2%	172 (36.0%)	7 (1.5%)	28 (5.9%)	255 (53.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.9%)	95.8	38^th of 1160 public elementary schools	96.7%		95.4	46^th of 1168 public elementary schools	96.1%	8	84.9	84.9	80.5	83.9	82.7	82.4	79.3	86.0	78.1	81.1	96.7	98.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.3	100.0	100.0	$17,518	$163	$17,355
Creekside Elementary	Public	K-5	20777 SE 16th St	Sammamish	98075	King County	Issaquah School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 837-5200	555	33	16.9	5.8%	208 (37.5%)	7 (1.3%)	30 (5.4%)	249 (44.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (11.0%)	94.6	52^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	95.5%		94.5	57^th of 1168 public elementary schools	95.1%	5	83.0	83.0	73.3	83.3	87.0	81.1	76.2	79.1	80.0	78.4	94.7	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	97.4	96.1	96.1	96.1	$17,906	$376	$17,530
Sunny Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	3200 Issaquah-Pine Lake Rd SE	Sammamish	98075	King County	Issaquah School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 837-7400	574	34	16.9	11.3%	161 (28.0%)	7 (1.2%)	54 (9.4%)	288 (50.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (10.8%)	94.6	54^th of 1160 public elementary schools	95.3%		96.5	24^th of 1168 public elementary schools	97.9%	30	77.4	77.4	77.1	84.3	78.1	79.6	84.0	85.6	75.2	81.4	95.7	98.9	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.9	100.0	95.7	98.9	98.9	$19,366	$344	$19,021
Challenger Elementary	Public	K-5	25200 SE Klahanie Blvd	Issaquah	98029	King County	Issaquah School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 837-7550	350	28	12.4	16.9%	109 (31.1%)	15 (4.3%)	45 (12.9%)	145 (41.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (10.3%)	88.3	126^th of 1160 public elementary schools	89.1%		86.7	144^th of 1168 public elementary schools	87.7%	18	80.6	80.6	64.8	66.0	83.1	71.6	71.8	68.1	76.5	72.6	91.7	91.7	95.8	95.8	95.8	91.7	93.8	91.7	91.7	91.7	$22,628	$596	$22,032

Frequently Asked Questions about Samantha Smith Elementary

Is Samantha Smith Elementary a good school?

Yes! Samantha Smith Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 8^th of 1160 Washington elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Samantha Smith Elementary attend?

Students who attend Samantha Smith Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Inglewood Middle School
High : Eastlake High School

How many students attend Samantha Smith Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 545 students attended Samantha Smith Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Samantha Smith Elementary?

Students at Samantha Smith Elementary are 70% Asian, 20% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Samantha Smith Elementary in?

Lake Washington School District

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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.