Summary:
Impact | Black River Elementary is the only school in this list, serving 209 kindergarten-through-fourth-grade students in Renton, Washington. The school has a 15.8-to-1 student-teacher ratio, and 62.68% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that it serves a community with significant economic needs. It is rated one star and ranks 211th out of 238 schools, placing it in the 11th percentile.
Academic results are below Washington state averages in every reported grade and subject. Overall, 28.36% of students are proficient in English Language Arts compared with 52.81% statewide, while 32.84% are proficient in Math compared with 43.11% statewide. Math is the school’s stronger subject, particularly in Grade 3, where 37.93% of students are proficient. However, Grade 4 results are weaker in both subjects: 23.68% are proficient in ELA and 28.95% in Math. These figures represent gaps of 26.75 and 20.59 percentage points below state averages, respectively. Parents may want to ask about Grade 4 instruction, academic interventions, tutoring, and how the school supports students who are not meeting grade-level expectations.
The most encouraging trend is a 7.03-percentage-point increase in all-grades Math proficiency, from 25.81% in 2024–2025 to 32.84% in 2025–2026. ELA was nearly unchanged, slipping slightly from 29.03% to 28.36%, so literacy remains the clearest area for improvement. Because enrollment is small, results can shift noticeably from one student group or year to another, and the Grade 3-to-Grade 4 decline may reflect cohort differences as well as instructional challenges. The reported $25,788 in per-student spending and modest student-teacher ratio provide resources, but the available data do not show how those resources are used. Families should consider asking how funding supports reading instruction, math improvement, special services, and individualized academic support.
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