Olympia School District

The Olympia School District is a well-regarded district of 19 schools serving about 9,500 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, ranking in the top fifth of all districts in Washington state.

Overall, the district's students perform significantly better than the state average in reading, math, and science, and graduate at a higher rate. However, performance varies between schools, often linked to economic need. Top-performing schools like Olympia High School (the district's highest-ranked), Washington Middle School, and Boston Harbor Elementary consistently show high test scores and lower poverty rates. In contrast, elementary schools like Garfield Elementary School, Leland P Brown Elementary, and Julia Butler Hansen Elementary face greater challenges, with lower proficiency rates and higher poverty, despite receiving more per-student funding.

Notable programs include Olympia Regional Learning Academy (ORLA), an alternative K-12 school with high test scores but a high dropout rate, and Avanti High School, which has an excellent graduation rate and top reading scores but much lower math and science results. The district's key strength is in science instruction, while math is a relative area for improvement across most schools.