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Dower Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

979^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,138 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Dower Elementary School is a public PK–5 school in Lakewood, Washington, serving about 337 students in the Clover Park School District in an area with several nearby schools and districts. Dower serves a high-need community: 74.48% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, although that figure has declined from 82.01% in 2022–23. The school’s student-teacher ratio was 15.6:1, and per-student spending was $24,921 in 2023–24.

Academic results are below district and state averages in all three tested subjects. In 2025–26, 29.82% of students were proficient in English language arts, 23.68% in math, and 28.57% in science. Math has declined steadily from 32.19% in 2022–23, while science has been more uneven. The most significant grade-level concern is fifth-grade math, where only 11.9% of students were proficient, compared with 28.89% in the district and 43.32% statewide. Dower ranked at the 14th percentile among Washington elementary schools, an improvement from the 7th percentile in 2024–25 but well below its 50th-percentile ranking in 2015–16. Subgroup effectiveness rankings are also generally low, including the 15th percentile for students from low-income households in 2025–26.

Dower is not the lowest-performing school among nearby Clover Park School District schools. It outperformed Park Lodge Elementary School in all three subjects and was close to Lakeview Hope Academy and Four Heroes Elementary. However, Idlewild Elementary School and Oakbrook Elementary School had stronger results, while nearby Chambers Elementary and Evergreen Primary in the University Place School District performed substantially better. The clearest priorities are strengthening fourth- and fifth-grade math, improving consistency in science, and reviewing how intervention and staffing resources support struggling students.

337

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,921

Per pupil spending ?

74.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7817 Dower Rd West
Lakewood, WA 98499-2333

(253) 583-5240

District: Clover Park School District

Students who attend Dower Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lochburn Middle School
High:	Clover Park High School
	General William H. Harrison Preparatory School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

25.8%

African American:

24.6%

White:

16.6%

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Compare Dower Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (27% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school27%

District avg35%

Washington avg48%

979^th of 1,138

Washington public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 36 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 16Elementary Schools in the Clover Park School District

162^nd of 238Clover Park 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
2026	13.8	979 of 1138	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.2	1073 of 1160	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	975 of 1168	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	942 of 1169	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.2	908 of 1169	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	756 of 1107	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.1	766 of 1130	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.4	827 of 1054	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.0	725 of 1056	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.6	530 of 1053	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.4	777 of 1067	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	43.0	682 of 1106	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.7	780 of 1097	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.4	727 of 1092	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	24.7	890 of 1088	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.5	653 of 1072	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	32.7	770 of 1067	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	26.9	840 of 1069	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.7	920 of 1051	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	45.2	597 of 1031	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	69.3	271 of 1026	73.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	38.7	63 of 108	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	14.9	922 of 1020	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.8	1035 of 1092	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	972 of 1093	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	962 of 1094	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	959 of 1100	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.7	857 of 1008	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.3	680 of 1068	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.5	693 of 1004	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	455 of 649	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	379 of 694	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.8	425 of 697	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.9	431 of 540	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	853 of 1008	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	842 of 1013	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.9	681 of 1024	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	692 of 1013	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	710 of 1019	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.4	456 of 854	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.1	286 of 979	70.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	865 of 1059	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.4	993 of 1098	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	29.5	780 of 1099	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.9	756 of 1099	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.7	774 of 1113	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.3	564 of 1025	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.7	735 of 1075	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.8	847 of 999	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	17.5	221 of 252	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	13.6	471 of 478	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	508 of 637	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	30.8	739 of 1009	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.7	635 of 1011	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.1	816 of 1031	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.3	517 of 943	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.3	688 of 1027	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.8	727 of 833	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2022)42nd percentile+19 vs school

Hispanic (2026)30th percentile+16 vs school

White (2024)27th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)18th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2022)12th percentile-10 vs school

Female (2026)10th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2022)1st percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts30%-23 vs state

Science29%-22 vs state

Math24%-19 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, June 23, 2017

Our child attended Dower for two years. She had two great teachers, Ms.Fowler and Mrs. Whitaker. The only good things my we will take from the school is they do a great job teaching to be respectful! Other then that I absolutely hated the school. The pickup area is an accident waiting to happen. The office is not professional and they have attitudes in there at times which is not acceptable! MRS. Shattuck was always nice though. My daughter has severe allergies and was given food over 20 times that she should not have had. I got responses like "oh I forgot " and " I have so many kids to remember" well I tell ya what that is NOT an excuse! Instead of spending money on new computers that kids that young should not be in in the first place, maybe spend it in training the staff how to follow a care plan! And how to safely get kids to their cars at pick up! I have the simplest instruction...never give my child any food I will send any and all she needs with her. They couldn't even follow it. I worked in healthcare over 10 years and had to remember way more about my patients and I would have been fired had I given a patient foods they were not supposed to have. There is no excuse. The last straw was when she came home with a peanut bar. Be proud Dower staff, if she had eaten it she might not be here! We gave out home back and all the $$$ we put into it and moved her to a different district. When I called the district about all the issues the response was to homeschool my child. Um no! She has every right to a proper education just like all other kids. How about train your staff properly! This school also does not have music or art or anything fun! They make the kids run at their recess. Recess should be free play! They are too stuck on test scores but the way they run it is just hurting the kids. Wayyyyy too much homework. I am so glad we moved! Best decision ever! I do not recommend this school if your child has any food allergies or medical issues at all. And I do not recommend if your child has any learning issues. It pretty much sucked! Close Quote

Schools Near Dower Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				% 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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Dower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7817 Dower Rd West	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5240	337	22	15.6	74.5%	56 (16.6%)	83 (24.6%)	87 (25.8%)	16 (4.7%)	3 (0.9%)	47 (13.9%)	40 (11.9%)	13.8	979^th of 1138 public elementary schools	14.0%		11.2	1073^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	7.5%	94	28.6	28.6	31.3	20.0	38.1	29.8	40.6	22.5	11.9	23.7	86.8	88.7	92.5	92.5	92.5	90.6	98.1	90.6	90.6	90.6	$24,921	$1,845	$23,076
Custer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7801 Steilacoom Blvd SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5230	358	21	17.0	74.0%	90 (25.1%)	54 (15.1%)	97 (27.1%)	15 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.3%)	68 (19.0%)	29.3	804^th of 1138 public elementary schools	29.3%		43.1	640^th of 1160 public elementary schools	44.8%	164	47.1	47.1	38.1	41.7	38.9	39.5	34.9	27.8	8.3	24.4	86.9	90.2	88.5	88.5	88.5	88.5	91.8	88.5	88.5	88.5	$27,154	$1,819	$25,334
Four Heroes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9101 Lakewood Dr SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5340	541	38	14.1	84.7%	62 (11.5%)	64 (11.8%)	302 (55.8%)	19 (3.5%)	2 (0.4%)	43 (7.9%)	45 (8.3%)	15.3	961^st of 1138 public elementary schools	15.6%		21	958^th of 1160 public elementary schools	17.4%	3	31.4	31.4	36.1	28.1	36.3	33.6	31.4	16.9	21.8	23.2	93.3	96.6	96.6	96.6	96.6	94.4	96.6	96.6	94.4	94.4	$20,983	$2,570	$18,413
Oakbrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7802 83rd AVE SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 583-5330	285	19	14.8	61.8%	75 (26.3%)	51 (17.9%)	49 (17.2%)	20 (7.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (4.9%)	56 (19.6%)	32.6	766^th of 1138 public elementary schools	32.7%		32	802^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	30.9%	36	42.4	42.4	41.0	53.1	37.9	43.8	30.8	38.8	32.2	34.0	91.9	94.6	100.0	100.0	100.0	91.9	94.6	100.0	91.9	91.9	$21,566	$1,540	$20,026
Park Lodge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6300 100th ST SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5350	363	28	12.8	78.5%	36 (9.9%)	62 (17.1%)	183 (50.4%)	9 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.0%)	32 (8.8%)	9.8	1040^th of 1138 public elementary schools	8.6%		8.3	1110^th of 1160 public elementary schools	4.3%	70	25.4	25.4	14.0	26.2	36.7	25.8	17.0	29.2	13.3	20.1	93.0	94.7	100.0	100.0	100.0	94.7	98.3	98.3	94.7	94.7	$22,719	$2,821	$19,898
Manitou Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4330 S 66th St	Tacoma	98409	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 571-5300	429	22	19.2	76.0%	74 (17.2%)	94 (21.9%)	117 (27.3%)	28 (6.5%)	6 (1.4%)	31 (7.2%)	78 (18.2%)	9.5	1043^rd of 1138 public elementary schools	8.3%		10.9	1076^th of 1160 public elementary schools	7.2%	33	27.1	27.1	24.0	12.5	39.0	25.5	26.5	10.7	15.5	17.2	79.7	81.2	87.0	87.0	87.0	81.2	88.4	84.1	81.2	81.2	$21,532	$2,640	$18,892
Lakeview Hope Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	10501 47th AVE SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5320	540	39	13.8	84.1%	59 (10.9%)	52 (9.6%)	271 (50.2%)	24 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (8.9%)	50 (9.3%)	13.7	981^st of 1138 public elementary schools	13.8%		12.9	1051^st of 1160 public elementary schools	9.4%	70	28.2	28.2	31.4	25.3	29.4	28.5	31.4	28.7	23.5	27.7	89.7	95.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	90.7	95.9	94.9	90.7	90.7	$22,791	$2,358	$20,433
Idlewild Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10806 Idlewild Rd SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 583-5290	380	25	15.0	51.6%	186 (48.9%)	44 (11.6%)	78 (20.5%)	14 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	56 (14.7%)	51.6	525^th of 1138 public elementary schools	53.9%		26.5	877^th of 1160 public elementary schools	24.4%	352	67.2	67.2	59.4	42.9	50.8	50.8	57.1	32.9	35.8	41.5	95.1	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	95.1	96.7	96.7	95.1	95.1	$20,801	$1,295	$19,506
Chambers Elementary	Public	K-4	9101 56th Ave W	University Place	98467	Pierce County	University Place School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 566-5650	493	32	15.1	40.0%	224 (45.4%)	54 (11.0%)	88 (17.8%)	41 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	77 (15.6%)	82.1	206^th of 1138 public elementary schools	81.9%		85.5	161^st of 1160 public elementary schools	86.1%	45			60.4	63.3		61.8	65.4	72.5		68.8	96.6	97.8	97.8	97.8	97.8	96.6	98.9	97.8	96.6	96.6	$18,135	$713	$17,421
Evergreen Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	7102 40th St W	University Place	98466	Pierce County	University Place School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 566-5680	516	33	15.6	38.8%	213 (41.3%)	42 (8.1%)	83 (16.1%)	55 (10.7%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.4%)	114 (22.1%)	76.5	253^rd of 1138 public elementary schools	77.8%		75.3	255^th of 1160 public elementary schools	78.0%	2			57.6	62.0		59.9	60.6	64.6		62.7	91.4	93.3	95.2	95.2	95.2	91.4	94.2	94.2	91.4	91.4	$16,869	$708	$16,161

Frequently Asked Questions about Dower Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Dower Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Lochburn Middle School
High : Clover Park High School
High : General William H. Harrison Preparatory School

Is Dower Elementary School a good school?

Dower Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Washington elementary schools.

What district is Dower Elementary School in?

Clover Park School District

How many students attend Dower Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 337 students attended Dower Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Dower Elementary School?

Students at Dower Elementary School are 26% Hispanic, 25% African American, 17% White, 14% Pacific Islander, 12% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 1% Not Specified.

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025

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.