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Bellingham School District

At a glance

89^thof 247 Washington districts▼ 3

Better than 63% of Washington districts

Elementary 14 Middle 4 High 6 Alternative 1Grades PK, KG-12

1985 Barkley Blvd
Bellingham, WA 98226-6605·(360) 676-6400·All Washington district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 64% of districts

Schools

11,337

Students

Top rankedKulshan Middle School90^th of 534 Washington middle schools

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Biggest riser

Sunnyland Elementary School up 147 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Options High School 8.6 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

0★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Washington districts →See the top-ranked Washington schools →

Summary:

The Bellingham School District includes 25 schools serving grades PK-12, offering a mix of traditional and alternative programs in this Washington district ranked in the top third statewide.

Performance varies significantly across schools, with clear standouts like Silver Beach Elementary School and Sehome High School consistently ranking in the top 20% of similar schools in the state, while others such as Cordata Elementary School and Alderwood Elementary School face substantial challenges, ranking in the bottom 10%. The district's middle schools, particularly Kulshan Middle School and Fairhaven Middle School, are generally strong, especially in science.

Key takeaways include a notable gap in math performance compared to English, particularly at the high school level, and that higher per-student spending at some schools often reflects services for higher-need populations rather than direct academic results. The district excels in graduation rates and science proficiency but families should note that alternative schools like Options High School serve distinct student needs with different outcome profiles.

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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 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 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th 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 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th 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
Alderwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Hollywood Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 676-6404	305	22	14.1	65.6%	149 (48.9%)	4 (1.3%)	113 (37.0%)	4 (1.3%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (9.2%)	11.2	1074^th of 1160 public elementary schools	7.4%		21	955^th of 1168 public elementary schools	18.2%	119	30.2			30.2	23.1	30.2	33.3					28.5	22.0	31.0	11.9					21.6	74.2	75.8	82.3	82.3	82.3	77.4	85.5	75.8	77.4	77.4	$22,963	$2,161	$20,802
Bellingham High School	Public	9-12	2020 Cornwall Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6575	1,165	55	21.3	35.5%	788 (67.6%)	20 (1.7%)	215 (18.5%)	27 (2.3%)	10 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (7.6%)	77.1	75^th of 438 public high schools	82.9%		72.2	94^th of 437 public high schools	78.5%	19			65.8	65.8							72.4	72.4							43.6	43.6											$17,636	$344	$17,292
Birchwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 Pinewood Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 676-6466	335	24	13.9	58.5%	134 (40.0%)	4 (1.2%)	152 (45.4%)	6 (1.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.4%)	20.2	964^th of 1160 public elementary schools	16.9%		17.9	997^th of 1168 public elementary schools	14.6%	33	48.8			48.8	32.7	35.0	35.0					34.2	27.3	30.0	22.0					26.9	81.3	84.4	84.4	84.4	84.4	84.4	90.6	81.3	84.4	84.4	$20,255	$1,908	$18,347
Carl Cozier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1330 Lincoln St	Bellingham	98229	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 676-6410	325	23	14.3	53.2%	192 (59.1%)	2 (0.6%)	81 (24.9%)	8 (2.5%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	38 (11.7%)	34.5	759^th of 1160 public elementary schools	34.6%		43.3	643^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	44.9%	116	51.9			51.9	15.1	45.2	53.6					37.8	11.1	45.2	43.4					32.2	81.3	84.4	87.5	87.5	87.5	81.3	92.2	84.4	81.3	81.3	$19,532	$624	$18,907
Columbia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2508 Utter St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6413	187	11	16.9	24.6%	145 (77.5%)	2 (1.1%)	23 (12.3%)	7 (3.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	67.6	345^th of 1160 public elementary schools	70.3%		72.7	290^th of 1168 public elementary schools	75.2%	55	80.0			80.0	51.3	70.4	60.0					59.4	51.3	63.0	40.0					50.5	78.6	89.3	96.4	96.4	96.4	89.3	92.9	85.7	89.3	89.3	$22,437	$311	$22,126
Fairhaven Middle School	Public	6-8	110 Park Ridge Rd	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6450	588	32	18.1	40.8%	393 (66.8%)	8 (1.4%)	91 (15.5%)	33 (5.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (9.4%)	80.2	93^rd of 534 public middle schools	82.6%		86.5	65^th of 535 public middle schools	87.9%	28		69.2		69.2				59.9	64.6	64.2		63.0				46.7	59.1	59.4		55.3											$17,779	$314	$17,465
Geneva Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1401 Geneva St	Bellingham	98229	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6416	412	23	18.1	32.0%	300 (72.8%)	6 (1.5%)	50 (12.1%)	8 (1.9%)	4 (1.0%)	3 (0.7%)	41 (10.0%)	63.1	398^th of 1160 public elementary schools	65.7%		67.6	343^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	70.6%	55	70.7			70.7	65.2	52.6	75.9					63.4	44.9	42.9	44.8					44.1	87.2	88.4	90.7	90.7	90.7	88.4	96.5	89.5	88.4	88.4	$16,989	$313	$16,675
Happy Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1041 24th St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6420	455	26	17.6	45.5%	304 (66.8%)	6 (1.3%)	75 (16.5%)	16 (3.5%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	48 (10.5%)	53	516^th of 1160 public elementary schools	55.5%		52.3	530^th of 1168 public elementary schools	54.6%	14	61.5			61.5	37.0	59.4	54.7					50.0	43.2	53.6	46.2					47.6	78.7	79.8	80.9	80.9	80.9	83.2	88.8	80.9	82.0	83.2	$16,848	$351	$16,497
Lowell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	914 15th St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6430	338	20	17.3	34.3%	239 (70.7%)	5 (1.5%)	43 (12.7%)	11 (3.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.4%)	70.5	306^th of 1160 public elementary schools	73.6%		72.7	291^st of 1168 public elementary schools	75.1%	15	74.1			74.1	55.4	61.5	59.3					58.6	61.8	56.0	51.0					56.4	81.0	84.1	88.9	88.9	88.9	85.7	87.3	87.3	85.7	85.7	$18,643	$1,164	$17,479
Parkview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3030 Cornwall Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6433	422	25	16.7	44.3%	269 (63.7%)	6 (1.4%)	88 (20.9%)	26 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.6%)	58.8	450^th of 1160 public elementary schools	61.2%		65.7	375^th of 1168 public elementary schools	67.9%	75	71.7			71.7	48.5	57.8	59.3					54.8	46.4	46.9	47.2					46.8	84.3	88.6	88.6	88.6	88.6	88.6	92.9	88.6	88.6	88.6	$19,517	$363	$19,154
Roosevelt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Yew St	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 676-6440	348	24	14.3	49.4%	222 (63.8%)	11 (3.2%)	81 (23.3%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.0%)	28.1	850^th of 1160 public elementary schools	26.7%		31.6	799^th of 1168 public elementary schools	31.6%	51	43.9			43.9	40.7	44.1	40.7					41.9	35.2	40.7	21.4					32.5	87.1	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	94.3	87.1	90.0	90.0	$20,422	$1,435	$18,987
Sehome High School	Public	9-12	2700 Bill McDonald Pkwy	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6481	1,116	51	21.8	29.9%	775 (69.4%)	26 (2.3%)	135 (12.1%)	59 (5.3%)	8 (0.7%)	4 (0.4%)	94 (8.4%)	78.4	72^nd of 438 public high schools	83.6%		72	97^th of 437 public high schools	77.8%	25			66.0	66.0							71.8	71.8							46.1	46.1											$17,517	$341	$17,176
Shuksan Middle School	Public	6-8	2717 Alderwood Ave	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6454	606	36	16.7	52.1%	318 (52.5%)	12 (2.0%)	186 (30.7%)	25 (4.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (9.4%)	38	320^th of 534 public middle schools	40.1%		32.2	358^th of 535 public middle schools	33.1%	38		48.5		48.5				45.0	42.9	46.4		44.7				28.7	30.1	31.1		29.9											$19,715	$1,712	$18,003
Silver Beach Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4101 Academy St	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6443	357	18	20.3	23.8%	269 (75.4%)	2 (0.6%)	44 (12.3%)	6 (1.7%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.0%)	80.2	208^th of 1160 public elementary schools	82.1%		84.2	171^st of 1168 public elementary schools	85.4%	37	63.0			63.0	69.4	78.1	63.0					71.1	70.8	75.0	47.8					65.8	93.2	93.2	94.9	94.9	94.9	93.2	94.9	94.9	93.2	93.2	$17,184	$605	$16,579
Sunnyland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2800 James St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6446	288	20	14.5	44.1%	170 (59.0%)	5 (1.7%)	65 (22.6%)	12 (4.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (11.5%)	55.7	490^th of 1160 public elementary schools	57.8%		43.8	637^th of 1168 public elementary schools	45.5%	147	74.3			74.3	58.0	29.7	64.7					51.2	60.0	37.8	41.2					47.9	89.4	90.9	92.4	92.4	92.4	92.4	97.0	90.9	92.4	92.4	$20,783	$539	$20,244
Whatcom Middle School	Public	6-8	810 Halleck St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6460	637	34	18.5	42.4%	375 (58.9%)	6 (0.9%)	133 (20.9%)	48 (7.5%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (9.6%)	72.7	119^th of 534 public middle schools	77.7%		65.7	165^th of 535 public middle schools	69.2%	46		52.3		52.3				49.5	63.9	63.7		59.1				51.8	55.9	52.4		53.4											$17,842	$320	$17,522
Options High School	Public	9-12	2015 Franklin St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 647-6871	176	20	8.6	54.0%	124 (70.5%)	2 (1.1%)	27 (15.3%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	18.4	361^st of 438 public high schools	17.6%		16	385^th of 437 public high schools	11.9%	24			38.7	38.7							38.1	38.1							16.7	16.7											$24,414	$385	$24,029
Kulshan Middle School	Public	6-8	1250 Kenoyer Dr	Bellingham	98229	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-4886	575	33	17.6	28.7%	422 (73.4%)	4 (0.7%)	73 (12.7%)	13 (2.3%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	54 (9.4%)	81.5	90^th of 534 public middle schools	83.1%		87	62^nd of 535 public middle schools	88.4%	28		66.0		66.0				62.4	75.6	65.4		67.5				42.9	65.9	53.2		53.5											$18,256	$607	$17,649
Squalicum High School	Public	9-12	3773 E McLeod Rd	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6471	1,273	60	21.1	43.2%	670 (52.6%)	20 (1.6%)	341 (26.8%)	111 (8.7%)	9 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	106 (8.3%)	54.1	190^th of 438 public high schools	56.6%		46.1	226^th of 437 public high schools	48.3%	36			42.9	42.9							69.4	69.4							35.5	35.5											$18,391	$342	$18,049
Visions (Seamar Youth Center)	Public	6-12	1603 E Illinois St	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 647-6871	11	0		63.6%	5 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (54.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																															$5,848	$311	$5,537
Northern Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Magrath Rd	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 647-6820	396	25	15.6	35.9%	254 (64.1%)	1 (0.3%)	59 (14.9%)	21 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	55 (13.9%)	57.1	468^th of 1160 public elementary schools	59.7%		53.7	511^th of 1168 public elementary schools	56.3%	43	61.3			61.3	54.7	44.3	58.1					51.7	62.5	48.7	40.3					50.5	88.5	88.5	93.6	93.6	93.6	91.0	92.3	89.7	91.0	91.0	$18,262	$325	$17,937
Wade King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2155 Yew Street Rd	Bellingham	98229	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6840	297	18	16.3	21.9%	232 (78.1%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.8%)	11 (3.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.7%)	59.2	446^th of 1160 public elementary schools	61.6%		60.4	442^nd of 1168 public elementary schools	62.2%	4	70.9			70.9	51.1	48.0	57.1					52.3	52.3	50.0	49.1					50.3	81.5	85.2	83.3	83.3	83.3	87.0	92.6	81.5	87.0	87.0	$20,706	$314	$20,392
Cordata Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4420 Aldrich Rd	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 676-6461	357	29	12.4	68.3%	115 (32.2%)	13 (3.6%)	134 (37.5%)	59 (16.5%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.0%)	12.9	1052^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	9.3%		6.4	1131^st of 1168 public elementary schools	3.2%	79	44.2			44.2	14.5		38.6					18.9	17.7	9.5	21.4					16.4	80.7	83.1	84.3	84.3	84.3	83.1	95.2	84.3	83.1	83.1	$23,284	$2,731	$20,552
Bellingham Family Partnership Program	Public, Alternative	K-12	1409 18th St	Bellingham	98225	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 676-6424	258	10	26.0	34.9%	201 (77.9%)	3 (1.2%)	31 (12.0%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.2%)								(n/a)																					69.2	84.6	84.6	84.6	84.6	84.6	84.6	69.2	84.6	84.6	$14,325	$311	$14,013
Bellingham Re-Engagement Program	Public, Virtual	9-12	1985 Barkley Blvd	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Bellingham School District	No	No	Yes	No	(360) 676-6400	110	0		62.7%	70 (63.6%)	2 (1.8%)	24 (21.8%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	4 (3.6%)								(n/a)																															$5,848	$311	$5,537

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Meridian School District	1.12 mi	6	70^th
Blaine School District	1.18 mi	7
Intergenerational High School	1.75 mi	1	83^rd
Northwest Educational Service District 189	2.74 mi	5
Ferndale School District	3.77 mi	14	168^th

See the top WA Washington districts

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.