Elementary Schools in Lake Washington School District

Lake Washington School District serves 32 elementary schools (primarily grades K-5) across the communities of Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, and Woodinville, ranking as the 4th best district in Washington state.

Overall, the district's schools perform exceptionally well, with average test scores far exceeding state averages, but there is notable variation between individual schools. Top performers like Christa McAuliffe Elementary (ranked #2 in the state) and Samantha Smith Elementary consistently achieve proficiency rates above 85-90% in all subjects. In contrast, schools such as Helen Keller Elementary and Robert Frost Elementary face greater challenges, with lower proficiency rates and higher rates of economic disadvantage among their student populations.

Interestingly, higher per-student spending does not guarantee better academic results; some of the highest-funded schools have lower rankings, while smaller community schools like Explorer Community School achieve strong results with less funding. Parents will also find that schools in Sammamish tend to cluster at the top of rankings, while performance in Kirkland is more varied, and several schools, including Lakeview Elementary, have shown significant recent improvement in their statewide rank.