Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School

Q: Is Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School a good school?

Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School ranks 393 rd of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

393^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 66% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School is a public K-5 school serving 592 students in Tacoma's Bethel School District, standing out as a consistently strong performer in its area.

Academically, the school shines, with student proficiency in English, math, and science significantly outpacing the district average, especially in math where scores are over 17 points higher. This is notable because the school serves a student population with a moderate level of economic need. The school is particularly effective in supporting Hispanic students, students from low-income families, and English language learners, helping these groups achieve at high levels. While the school's overall performance has remained steady, there have been recent declines in scores for specific groups of students, such as African American and military-connected students, which the school is likely addressing.

Compared to nearby schools, Katherine G. Johnson is a high achiever. For instance, it outperforms schools like Chester H Thompson Elementary and Spanaway Elementary, which serve students with similar or greater economic needs. Its closest neighbor, Clover Creek Elementary, performs similarly well, but Katherine G. Johnson does this while spending less per student than several other area schools, demonstrating efficient use of resources within the broader Bethel School District.

592

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,576

Per pupil spending ?

54.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

16720 Waller Rd E
Tacoma, WA 98446

(253) 800-3000

District: Bethel School District

Students who attend Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Cedarcrest Middle School
High:	Spanaway Lake High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

26.5%

Two or more races:

20.8%

Hispanic:

18.9%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 62nd percentile in 2023 → 66th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (56% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Above the Washington median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg43%

Washington avg48%

393^rd of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 4 pts since 2023

From top 38% (2023) to top 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th 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	63.4	393 of 1160	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.8	340 of 1168	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	59.7	447 of 1169	61.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	40 of 75	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.5	10 of 71	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	9 of 66	86.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	85.0	34 of 303	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.7	39 of 320	87.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	66.9	313 of 1092	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	72.0	273 of 1093	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	334 of 1094	69.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	78.1	83 of 659	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	63 of 651	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	73.0	113 of 633	82.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	79.1	126 of 1013	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.0	95 of 1024	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	75.3	173 of 1013	82.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	59.0	420 of 1098	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.8	391 of 1099	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.5	495 of 1099	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	50.5	26 of 45	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	76.6	5 of 39	87.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	131 of 197	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.6	129 of 188	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.5	123 of 194	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	76.0	218 of 1007	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	72.7	266 of 1009	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	63.6	358 of 1011	64.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)89th percentile+23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2025)87th percentile+21 vs school

White (2025)78th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)71st percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)62nd percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)47th percentile-19 vs school

Military Connected (2025)42nd percentile-24 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)34th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science58%+9 vs state

English Language Arts56%+3 vs state

Math55%+12 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Katherine G. Johnson 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 All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th 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
Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School	Public	K-5	16720 Waller Rd E	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-3000	592	34	17.4	54.9%	157 (26.5%)	87 (14.7%)	112 (18.9%)	57 (9.6%)	9 (1.5%)	47 (7.9%)	123 (20.8%)	63.4	393^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	66.1%		67.8	340^th of 1168 public elementary schools	70.9%	53	58.1	58.1	51.2	57.1	60.7	55.6	54.7	51.7	58.3	54.8	89.9	92.1	92.1	92.1	92.1	91.0	96.6	92.1	91.0	91.0	$16,576	$1,246	$15,330
Clover Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	16715 36th Avenue East	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-7800	617	39	15.9	51.5%	201 (32.6%)	63 (10.2%)	133 (21.6%)	44 (7.1%)	3 (0.5%)	53 (8.6%)	120 (19.4%)	64.7	381^st of 1160 public elementary schools	67.2%		62.7	415^th of 1168 public elementary schools	64.5%	34	49.5	49.5	55.6	64.0	62.4	60.7	57.6	59.0	48.5	55.0	94.8	94.8	97.9	97.9	97.9	94.8	99.0	96.9	94.8	94.8	$17,145	$1,176	$15,968
Naches Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15505 Waller Road East	Tacoma	98446	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-8700	519	32	16.4	57.4%	193 (37.2%)	50 (9.6%)	117 (22.5%)	28 (5.4%)	5 (1.0%)	22 (4.2%)	104 (20.0%)	33.6	772^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	33.4%		42.8	648^th of 1168 public elementary schools	44.5%	124	46.3	46.3	32.9	50.9	41.3	40.9	44.7	44.8	26.9	38.2	91.1	92.9	96.4	96.4	96.4	94.6	94.6	94.6	94.6	94.6	$22,960	$1,689	$21,271
Evergreen Elementary	Public	K-5	1311 172nd Street East	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-8200	530	36	14.6	66.4%	187 (35.3%)	42 (7.9%)	118 (22.3%)	28 (5.3%)	5 (0.9%)	33 (6.2%)	117 (22.1%)	30.8	815^th of 1160 public elementary schools	29.7%		40.6	671^st of 1168 public elementary schools	42.6%	144	34.4	34.4	36.5	43.0	46.7	42.1	46.4	39.2	32.2	39.1	86.8	89.0	89.0	89.0	89.0	86.8	92.3	89.0	86.8	86.8	$18,239	$1,631	$16,608
Bethel Elementary Learning Academy	Public	K-5	16117 Canyon Road East	Puyallup	98375	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-4990	0	0	17.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																					$16,852	$728	$16,124
Thompson Preschool	Public	PK-K	15616 5th Ave E	Tacoma	98445	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-4100	227	4	56.7	55.1%	79 (34.8%)	22 (9.7%)	56 (24.7%)	11 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.2%)	45 (19.8%)								(n/a)																					$5,617	$721	$4,895
Chester H Thompson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	303 159th St E	Tacoma	98445	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-5800	688	41	16.6	67.2%	141 (20.5%)	45 (6.5%)	339 (49.3%)	17 (2.5%)	3 (0.4%)	46 (6.7%)	97 (14.1%)	27.8	856^th of 1160 public elementary schools	26.2%		32.8	781^st of 1168 public elementary schools	33.1%	75	31.3	31.3	48.9	33.0	39.1	40.1	47.3	36.1	28.1	36.4	85.3	86.2	86.2	86.2	86.2	87.1	94.8	86.2	87.1	87.1	$20,098	$1,707	$18,391
Camas Prairie Elementary	Public	K-5	320 176th Street East	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-7400	529	39	13.5	67.9%	151 (28.5%)	47 (8.9%)	140 (26.5%)	29 (5.5%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (10.8%)	104 (19.7%)	62.1	410^th of 1160 public elementary schools	64.7%		67.6	347^th of 1168 public elementary schools	70.3%	63	50.0	50.0	58.2	57.5	55.2	56.8	59.7	51.6	55.0	55.0	86.4	89.8	89.8	89.8	89.8	87.5	94.3	88.6	87.5	87.5	$20,664	$1,504	$19,160
Bethel Hope Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	214 167th St. S	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 800-4100	163	7	23.2	74.2%	56 (34.4%)	13 (8.0%)	51 (31.3%)	3 (1.8%)	6 (3.7%)	5 (3.1%)	29 (17.8%)								(n/a)																					$20,475	$1,175	$19,300
Spanaway Elementary	Public	K-5	412 165th St S	Spanaway	98387	Pierce County	Bethel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 800-5300	371	26	14.3	70.9%	127 (34.2%)	31 (8.4%)	90 (24.3%)	14 (3.8%)	4 (1.1%)	31 (8.4%)	74 (19.9%)	35.3	744^th of 1160 public elementary schools	35.9%		23.6	922^nd of 1168 public elementary schools	21.1%	178	37.3	37.3	35.5	31.5	57.7	41.1	41.9	40.0	48.1	43.2	88.7	94.4	93.0	93.0	93.0	94.4	97.2	91.6	94.4	94.4	$21,595	$1,533	$20,062

Frequently Asked Questions about Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cedarcrest Middle School
High : Spanaway Lake High School

How many students attend Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 592 students attended Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School?

Students at Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School are 27% White, 21% Two or more races, 19% Hispanic, 15% African American, 10% Asian, 8% Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian.

What district is Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School in?

Bethel School District

Is Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School a good school?

Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School ranks 393^rd of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Elementary School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Tacoma, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School!

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.