Summary
Brookdale Elementary is a K–5 school in Tacoma serving 483 students in the Franklin Pierce School District, an area with relatively high economic need and convenient access to several nearby Tacoma, Bethel, and Franklin Pierce schools. In 2024–2025, 69.15% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-teacher ratio was 15:1.
Brookdale’s latest ranking places it at the 25th percentile statewide, with a one-star rating, while its district ranks at the 19th percentile. Within its immediate district comparison group, Brookdale is a middle performer: in 2025–2026, 35.37% of students were proficient in both ELA and math, and 39.08% were proficient in science. It ranked below Collins Elementary, Midland Elementary, and James Sales Elementary, but above Christensen Elementary and Elmhurst Elementary School in all three subjects. Math is Brookdale’s relative strength: its result was 8.82 points above the district average, although it remained below the state average. Its 15:1 ratio is favorable compared with some nearby schools, but staffing ratios alone do not appear to explain academic differences.
The main concern is a recent schoolwide decline. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, ELA fell 6.57 points, math fell 2.94 points, and science fell 9.02 points. Grade-level results point to a particular need in fifth-grade math, where proficiency was 28.09%, compared with 44.93% in third grade. Science also deserves attention because the assessment is concentrated in fifth grade. James Sales Elementary is a useful local benchmark, outperforming Brookdale in ELA, math, and science despite serving a similarly high-need community. Brookdale may benefit from examining instructional practices, interventions, and grade-level supports at stronger nearby schools while focusing on ELA, fifth-grade math, science, and outcomes for students receiving additional support.
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