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Nelson Elementary School

Q: Is Nelson Elementary School a good school?

Nelson Elementary School ranks 243 rd of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

243^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Nelson Elementary School is a public PK-5 school serving 497 students in Graham, WA, and is part of the Bethel School District, but it stands out as a rapidly improving 4-star school that ranks in the top 21% of all elementary schools in the state.

The school's academic performance is a key strength, with student proficiency in English, math, and science consistently and significantly above both district and state averages; notably, its math scores are over 26 points higher than the Bethel district average. Perhaps most impressive is Nelson's exceptional effectiveness in supporting students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the top 5% of schools statewide for that student group. This success is achieved with lower per-student spending than many neighboring schools, such as Frederickson Elementary and Kapowsin Elementary, which have lower rankings.

When compared to nearby schools, Nelson's 79th percentile state ranking is stronger than most in its district, including Centennial Elementary (48th percentile) and North Star Elementary (59th percentile). It also competes favorably with schools in the generally higher-performing Puyallup School District, outperforming G W Edgerton Elementary and matching the performance of schools like Frank Brouillet Elementary. Nelson's consistent three-year improvement trajectory solidifies its position as a leading and efficient school in the region.

497

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,831

Per pupil spending ?

46.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

22109 108th Ave E
Graham, WA 98338

(253) 800-6400

District: Bethel School District

Students who attend Nelson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Frontier Middle School
High:	Graham Kapowsin High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.9%

Two or more races:

17.5%

Hispanic:

14.3%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Nelson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 67th percentile in 2015 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (65% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Washington elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg43%

Washington avg48%

243^rd of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 18Elementary Schools in the Bethel School District

138^th of 247Bethel School District among Washington 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	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	77.0	243 of 1160	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	63.5	401 of 1168	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.4	523 of 1169	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.1	494 of 1169	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.2	625 of 1107	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.5	333 of 1130	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	63.6	385 of 1054	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.0	472 of 1056	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.0	548 of 1053	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	64.4	355 of 1067	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	78.1	200 of 1106	81.9%	★★★★☆
2012	72.9	261 of 1097	76.2%	★★★★☆
2011	67.9	322 of 1092	70.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	54.1	29 of 71	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.2	17 of 66	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	66.5	23 of 108	78.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	22.8	151 of 187	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	69.3	70 of 320	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	54.7	89 of 254	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	79.9	193 of 1092	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	333 of 1093	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.2	436 of 1094	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	456 of 1100	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.6	577 of 1008	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.0	325 of 1068	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.2	389 of 1004	61.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	72.3	135 of 651	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	111 of 633	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	40.7	395 of 694	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.5	234 of 501	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.5	74 of 697	89.4%	★★★★☆
2018	82.4	64 of 540	88.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	87.7	55 of 1013	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	75.7	170 of 1024	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	65.8	283 of 1013	72.1%	★★★★☆
2022	63.0	295 of 1019	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	50.1	377 of 854	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.9	134 of 979	86.3%	★★★★☆
2018	65.8	225 of 835	73.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	71.7	273 of 1098	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	59.5	422 of 1099	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.5	562 of 1099	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.6	499 of 1113	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.3	600 of 1025	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.2	332 of 1075	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	378 of 999	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	46.7	27 of 50	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	67.9	49 of 197	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	25 of 188	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	27.0	156 of 194	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.9	143 of 252	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.0	99 of 128	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.7	141 of 303	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	42.4	289 of 566	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	308 of 1007	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.9	400 of 1009	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.2	474 of 1011	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.3	378 of 1031	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.3	490 of 943	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	70.7	302 of 1027	70.6%	★★★★☆
2018	55.2	383 of 833	54.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+16 vs school

Female (2025)82nd percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2024)79th percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)78th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2025)75th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)75th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)69th percentile-10 vs school

African American (2024)59th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2019)49th percentile-22 vs school

Military Connected (2022)46th percentile-12 vs school

Asian (2022)19th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science69%+19 vs state

English Language Arts64%+11 vs state

Math64%+21 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Nelson is an all-around excellent school. Top notch teachers, dynamic administration, state of the art facility. Great families and pleasant environment. Conveniently located next to Jr. High and High School. Highly recommend; we have been nothing but pleased. Close Quote

Schools Near Nelson Elementary School

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 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 All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th 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
Nelson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	22109 108th Ave E	Graham	98338	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-6400	497	33	14.9	46.9%	288 (57.9%)	21 (4.2%)	71 (14.3%)	16 (3.2%)	4 (0.8%)	10 (2.0%)	87 (17.5%)	77	243^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	79.1%		63.5	401^st of 1168 public elementary schools	65.7%	158	68.7	68.7	59.7	53.9	74.7		63.6	66.7	58.5	65.1		63.6	80.2	82.8	83.6	83.6	83.6	81.0	86.2	81.9	81.0	81.0	$15,831	$754	$15,077
Graham Elementary	Public	K-5	10026 204th Street East	Graham	98338	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-8500	428	28	15.2	52.1%	211 (49.3%)	22 (5.1%)	72 (16.8%)	16 (3.7%)	8 (1.9%)	21 (4.9%)	78 (18.2%)	63.4	392^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	66.2%		61.4	427^th of 1168 public elementary schools	63.4%	35	48.0	48.0	73.6	50.6	53.3		58.8	69.4	49.4	54.7		57.5	89.7	95.4	94.3	94.3	94.3	93.1	94.3	93.1	93.1	93.1	$17,064	$998	$16,066
Expedition Elementary	Public	K-5	18717 108th Ave Ct E	Puyallup	98374	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(253) 800-2400	530	31	16.9	51.3%	117 (22.1%)	114 (21.5%)	86 (16.2%)	81 (15.3%)	4 (0.8%)	39 (7.4%)	88 (16.6%)								(n/a)
North Star Elementary	Public	K-5	7719 224th Street East	Graham	98338	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-8800	446	31	14.5	52.0%	251 (56.3%)	10 (2.2%)	79 (17.7%)	10 (2.2%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.5%)	72 (16.1%)	57	470^th of 1160 public elementary schools	59.5%		60.9	435^th of 1168 public elementary schools	62.8%	35	54.6	54.6	51.7	59.2	50.0		53.3	62.8	56.3	35.2		51.0	86.3	89.0	89.0	89.0	89.0	89.0	91.8	86.3	89.0	89.0	$18,421	$996	$17,425
Pioneer Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	7315 Eustis Hunt Road	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-8900	524	34	15.5	56.5%	213 (40.6%)	39 (7.4%)	120 (22.9%)	15 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	44 (8.4%)	91 (17.4%)	70	312^th of 1160 public elementary schools	73.1%		63.5	400^th of 1168 public elementary schools	65.8%	88	54.4	54.4	68.2	52.9	64.1		61.8	63.6	60.9	53.3		59.2	92.0	94.3	94.3	94.3	94.3	93.1	97.7	92.0	93.1	93.1	$18,584	$1,190	$17,394
Emma L Carson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8615 184th St E	Puyallup	98375	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 840-8808	676	40	17.0	52.8%	232 (34.3%)	105 (15.5%)	128 (18.9%)	57 (8.4%)	3 (0.4%)	38 (5.6%)	113 (16.7%)	56.6	476^th of 1160 public elementary schools	59.0%		50.8	553^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	52.7%	77	42.3	42.3	44.4	51.7	56.7	63.3	53.9	45.4	52.9	54.8	52.0	51.1	93.1	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	94.1	96.0	96.0	94.1	94.1	$16,171	$471	$15,700
Kapowsin Elementary	Public	K-5	10412 264th Street East	Graham	98338	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-8600	321	20	15.9	47.7%	204 (63.6%)	3 (0.9%)	60 (18.7%)	6 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.6%)	41 (12.8%)	43.5	632^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	45.5%		36.6	727^th of 1168 public elementary schools	37.8%	95	42.4	42.4	57.8	52.1	40.0		49.4	53.3	46.5	30.5		42.9	84.8	87.0	84.8	84.8	84.8	87.0	89.1	84.8	87.0	87.0	$20,103	$767	$19,337
Frank Brouillet Elementary	Public	K-6	17207 94th Ave E	Puyallup	98375	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 841-8670	541	34	15.9	42.3%	244 (45.1%)	47 (8.7%)	86 (15.9%)	40 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.4%)	98 (18.1%)	72.2	291^st of 1160 public elementary schools	74.9%		72.9	288^th of 1168 public elementary schools	75.3%	3	68.9	68.9	58.1	52.0	68.2	63.5	61.1	67.4	56.6	53.8	46.0	56.1	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	$17,515	$391	$17,124
Centennial Elementary	Public	K-5	24353 Mathias Rd E	Graham	98338	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-7700	540	36	14.9	67.0%	263 (48.7%)	19 (3.5%)	128 (23.7%)	4 (0.7%)	7 (1.3%)	26 (4.8%)	93 (17.2%)	46.4	599^th of 1160 public elementary schools	48.4%		51.5	539^th of 1168 public elementary schools	53.9%	60	50.5	50.5	56.3	43.1	54.1		51.8	46.0	42.3	41.2		43.1	80.4	86.6	83.9	83.9	83.9	83.9	89.3	83.9	83.9	83.9	$18,744	$1,370	$17,374
G W Edgerton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	16528 127th Ave Ct E	Puyallup	98374	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 840-8809	753	45	16.7	37.6%	353 (46.9%)	89 (11.8%)	97 (12.9%)	75 (10.0%)	8 (1.1%)	22 (2.9%)	109 (14.5%)	52.4	526^th of 1160 public elementary schools	54.7%		54.8	499^th of 1168 public elementary schools	57.3%	27	43.4	43.4	40.9	54.3	49.1	57.9	50.5	47.4	55.8	43.4	52.2	49.6	92.8	94.9	95.9	95.9	95.9	94.9	95.9	92.8	94.9	94.9	$16,558	$170	$16,388

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Elementary School

How many students attend Nelson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 497 students attended Nelson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Nelson Elementary School?

Students at Nelson Elementary School are 58% White, 18% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic, 4% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Nelson Elementary School in?

Bethel School District

Is Nelson Elementary School a good school?

Nelson Elementary School ranks 243^rd of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Nelson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Nelson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Frontier Middle School
High : Graham Kapowsin High School

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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.