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Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

Amidon-Bowen Elementary School

Q: Is Amidon-Bowen Elementary School a good school?

Amidon-Bowen Elementary School ranks 87 th of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

87^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, part of the District of Columbia Public Schools, serves 374 students in grades PK–5 in Washington, DC's Southwest waterfront area, currently earning 2 stars and ranking 87th out of 124 D.C. elementary schools at the 30th percentile. Academically, the school is significantly behind district averages, with only 20.9% of students proficient in English Language Arts and 17.2% in Mathematics, compared with 44.1% and 33.3% respectively. Despite relatively high per-pupil spending of $25,727 and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.4, these resources have not translated into competitive outcomes.

The school sits amid a cluster of DCPS elementary schools with starkly different results. For instance, School-Within-School at Goding and Brent Elementary School both achieve ELA and math proficiency rates above 60%, while Amidon-Bowen hovers near 20%. This performance gap is also visible in 3rd grade, where Amidon-Bowen's ELA proficiency is just 9.1% and math 14.0%, far below the district's 38.0% and 48.0%. Historically, Amidon-Bowen improved from the 3rd percentile in 2014–2015 to the 50th percentile in 2022–2023, but has since slipped back to the 22nd–30th percentile range, suggesting earlier gains were not sustained.

Early-grade literacy and numeracy are critical weak spots, and 5th grade science proficiency of 10.3% is less than half the district average. Subgroup ranks show low effectiveness for key student groups, with African American students at the 28th percentile and low socioeconomic status students at the 29th percentile in 2025–2026, though there has been some recent improvement. Interestingly, Amidon-Bowen's spending and staffing levels are comparable or better than higher-performing peers like Brent and Van Ness Elementary School, yet outcomes lag. This suggests that factors like instructional quality, curriculum, and leadership, rather than raw resources, may be driving the gap.

374

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,138

Per pupil spending ?

57.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

401 I St. SW
Washington, DC 20024

(202) 724-4867

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Amidon-Bowen Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jefferson Middle School Academy
High:	Eastern High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

71.7%

White:

12.8%

Hispanic:

10.2%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Amidon-Bowen Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 50th percentile in 2023 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (19% vs 34% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 50th-percentile peak (2023) to 30th (2026)

!English Language Arts scores 19 pts below the District Of Columbia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school19%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

87^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

53^rd of 74Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia 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	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	87 of 124	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.0	100 of 128	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.8	84 of 126	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.1	64 of 128	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.8	58 of 97	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.1	85 of 122	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.7	104 of 120	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.5	98 of 108	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.0	84 of 99	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	15.9	94 of 97	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	19.3	91 of 109	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	14.7	104 of 112	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.7	107 of 111	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	24.9	92 of 111	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	69 of 96	28.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	18.6	96 of 108	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	60 of 63	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.3	58 of 60	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	73 of 106	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.5	91 of 100	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	34.6	64 of 91	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.3	80 of 90	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	31.9	80 of 117	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	16.9	100 of 110	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	33.0	57 of 80	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	46 of 55	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	25.0	90 of 113	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.0	90 of 113	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	38.2	25 of 45	44.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.8	30 of 35	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2019)44th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2019)32nd percentile~ school

At Risk (2019)30th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile~ school

African American (2026)28th percentile~ school

Male (2019)20th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts21%-19 vs state

Mathematics17%-11 vs state

4.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 26, 2015

I love the school (mom of a PK-3 boy with an IEP) Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, September 8, 2014

This school is one where the teachers genuinely care for the students and there is a real sense of community and support within its walls.

The majority of students come from families where there are no "helicopter" parents around, and a great many students are being reared by grandmothers and aunts. Most of the kids qualify for free lunch and most live in subsidized housing.

This is a school that is improving tremendously. The capitol improvements make it one of the prettiest schools in the city and it has a dance studio, full gym with bleachers and an auditorium. It's half a block from the Waterfront Metro, and the location is indeed a great one.

Principal Miller is one of those educators movies are made about! (Not even kidding) She's the best person to tell her own story, but growing up poor under Communist rule in Poland to learning English and coming to the US determined to show poor children that education can absolutely bring them better lives is the jist.

Anyway, my child has thrived in the school. I wish there were more involved parents. (There are some!) This year has an extended day, and the students are being taught until 4:15. My friends at Yeshiva when I was growing up were the only ones I knew who were in school THAT long!

It needs more parent involvement. It needs some more middle class families. But this school is absolutely one to consider- especially if your child is bright. Close Quote

Schools Near Amidon-Bowen Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)							DC CAPE Mathematics (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC CAPE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 4th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 5th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 3rd Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 4th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Amidon-Bowen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 I St. SW	Washington	20024	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 724-4867	374	36	10.4	57.0%	48 (12.8%)	268 (71.7%)	38 (10.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	17 (4.5%)	25.1	87^th of 124 public elementary schools	29.8%		22	100^th of 128 public elementary schools	21.9%	13	9.1	28.1	21.9				20.9	14.0	23.4					17.2	$28,138	$2,640	$25,498
Brent Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2501 11th St NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 698-3363	421	33	12.9	7.6%	280 (66.5%)	48 (11.4%)	37 (8.8%)	15 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.5%)	86.7	17^th of 124 public elementary schools	86.3%		97.7	5^th of 128 public elementary schools	96.1%	12	60.3	74.4	47.4				63.2	82.5	67.4	52.6				72.8	$24,127	$2,111	$22,016
Van Ness Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 5th St SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 727-4314	404	31	13.0	45.8%	71 (17.6%)	274 (67.8%)	21 (5.2%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.7%)	30	74^th of 124 public elementary schools	40.3%		34.1	75^th of 128 public elementary schools	41.4%	1		24.5	16.4				26.1	42.6	20.7	7.0				24.7	$24,504	$2,495	$22,009
School-Within-School at Goding	Public	PK, KG-5	920 F St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 727-7377	325	30	10.8	10.8%	154 (47.4%)	92 (28.3%)	26 (8.0%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (13.5%)	95.2	8^th of 124 public elementary schools	93.5%		97.1	6^th of 128 public elementary schools	95.3%	2	67.4	86.6					76.3	69.7	86.6	68.2				76.4	$28,937	$2,082	$26,856
Peabody Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster)	Public	PK-K	425 C St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-3277	209	17	12.6	9.1%	125 (59.8%)	56 (26.8%)	13 (6.2%)	6 (2.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)								(n/a)															$25,023	$2,098	$22,924
Shirley Chisholm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 G St. SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-4810	542	46	11.7	28.4%	122 (22.5%)	298 (55.0%)	86 (15.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.4%)	71.5	26^th of 124 public elementary schools	79.0%		68.1	28^th of 128 public elementary schools	78.1%	2	49.1	54.6	43.4				49.0	56.4	52.7	35.9				48.5	$25,435	$2,422	$23,013
Cedar Tree Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	701 Howard Road SE	Washington	20020	District Of Columbia	Cedar Tree Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 610-4193	399	25	16.0	74.2%	0 (0.0%)	362 (90.7%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.8%)								(n/a)	11.7							19.6							$30,586	$2,230	$28,356
Capitol Hill Montessori School at Logan	Public	PK, KG-8	215 G St NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 698-4467	503	36	13.9	24.5%	103 (20.5%)	322 (64.0%)	29 (5.8%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (7.8%)	38.8	62^nd of 124 public elementary schools	50.0%		51.3	44^th of 128 public elementary schools	65.6%	18	24.0	44.7	26.5	36.2	52.3	63.6	42.1	25.0	21.1	14.7		18.7	15.2	18.0	$22,870	$2,085	$20,785
Watkins Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster)	Public	K-5	420 12th St. SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 698-3355	415	30	13.8	26.5%	94 (22.7%)	273 (65.8%)	22 (5.3%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.9%)	64.2	36^th of 124 public elementary schools	71.0%		61.2	33^rd of 128 public elementary schools	74.2%	3	35.2	51.5	51.8				46.9	47.9	50.5	26.0				41.7	$22,287	$2,067	$20,220
Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	1345 Potomac Avenue SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 547-5800	256	26	9.7	62.9%	1 (0.4%)	246 (96.1%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	29.6							37.1							$35,028	$2,492	$32,536

Frequently Asked Questions about Amidon-Bowen Elementary School

Is Amidon-Bowen Elementary School a good school?

Amidon-Bowen Elementary School ranks 87^th of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Amidon-Bowen Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Amidon-Bowen Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jefferson Middle School Academy
High : Eastern High School

How many students attend Amidon-Bowen Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 374 students attended Amidon-Bowen Elementary School.

What district is Amidon-Bowen Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Amidon-Bowen Elementary School?

Students at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School are 72% African American, 13% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

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.