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Pioneer Elementary School

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

93^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,138 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Pioneer Elementary School is a K–5 school in Gig Harbor serving 481 students in the Peninsula School District, an area with several high-performing elementary schools nearby. Pioneer ranked 93rd out of 1,138 Washington elementary schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 92nd percentile statewide. That is a substantial improvement from 279th in 2023–2024 and 133rd in 2024–2025. The district itself ranked 18th of 238 districts statewide.

Pioneer’s academic results are well above state averages in every tested subject. In 2025–2026, proficiency was 71.74% in English language arts, 73.48% in math, and 81.69% in science. Math and science are the clearest strengths: Pioneer exceeded district results by more than 16 and 15 percentage points, respectively, and science proficiency was among the highest in the local comparison. Only Purdy Elementary School scored higher in science. ELA results were also strong and notably consistent across grades, ranging from 71.08% to 72.37%. Math performance was strongest in third and fourth grades, while fifth-grade math was lower at 67.61%—still above district and state levels, but a reasonable area for families to monitor.

Pioneer compares favorably with other nearby Discovery Elementary School, located about 0.13 miles away: Pioneer’s science proficiency was nearly 12 points higher, while its math and ELA results were also slightly stronger. Harbor Heights Elementary School ranked just ahead of Pioneer statewide, while Minter Creek Elementary ranked lower. Recent subgroup effectiveness results were especially strong for special education students, at the 93rd percentile, and low-socioeconomic-status students, at the 98th percentile. Overall, Pioneer stands out for broad recent improvement, strong math and science outcomes, and consistent performance across grades.

481

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,828

Per pupil spending ?

13.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8402 Skansie Ave
Gig Harbor, WA 98332

(253) 530-3500

District: Peninsula School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.3%

Two or more races:

11.2%

Hispanic:

9.1%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Pioneer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 84th percentile in 2021 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (74% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Washington elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2021

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school74%

District avg63%

Washington avg48%

93^rd of 1,138

Washington public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 8 pts since 2021

From top 16% (2021) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 10Elementary Schools in the Peninsula School District

18^th of 238Peninsula 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	91.8	93 of 1138	91.8%	★★★★★
2025	87.7	133 of 1160	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	279 of 1168	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	81.4	206 of 1169	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	77.4	250 of 1169	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	82.9	177 of 1107	84.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	91.6	79 of 1092	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	76.3	234 of 1093	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.5	218 of 1094	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	67.2	332 of 1100	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.0	244 of 1008	75.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	93.1	18 of 1008	98.2%	★★★★★
2025	86.9	62 of 1013	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	60.4	363 of 1024	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	92.2	73 of 1059	93.1%	★★★★★
2025	83.6	165 of 1098	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	297 of 1099	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	81.9	180 of 1099	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	82.3	180 of 1113	83.8%	★★★★☆
2021	86.3	136 of 1025	86.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	52.2	89 of 188	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.1	79 of 194	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	83.9	32 of 432	92.6%	★★★★★
2025	74.7	58 of 363	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	45.7	185 of 339	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.8	95 of 308	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.6	148 of 478	69.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	89.5	61 of 901	93.2%	★★★★★
2025	81.3	156 of 1007	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	60.9	384 of 1009	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.9	288 of 1011	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	67.4	321 of 1031	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.5	195 of 943	79.3%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)98th percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)93rd percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2024)53rd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

Science82%+31 vs state

Math73%+30 vs state

English Language Arts72%+19 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 5, 2022

Pioneer is the most sought after school in the district with there being a lottery to get your kid in there. Their specialty classes are art & tinkering, innovation, music & PE which rotate on a weekly basis. So yes your kid has PE for a week straight.
I suppose this school is great for your typical child but if your child has any behavioral or academic challenges I highly recommend hiring an educational advocate to help you navigate the IEP process. Don’t make the mistake I did by not hiring one, I didn’t know any better.
I was told by my child’s new school that their IEP from Pioneer was one of the most poorly written IEP’s that they’ve ever seen. Not a single educational goal, only behavioral but as soon as the IEP was signed all communication which was great in the beginning cut down to minimal. Next thing I find out my child was spending quite a bit of time with the special ed teacher even though there was NO educational goal nor was this written into their IEP. They only reached out once bribing my child with candy & edible treats was no longer working for them. Not acceptable to be loading my child up with dyes, sugars & toxins and it’s no wonder things were on the decline. They had a wonderful speech therapist but she went out on a year long maternity leave so they only have a virtual therapist now for the kids.
I will add that the school counselor Mr Sullivan is a saint and the school is very lucky to have him. Close Quote

Schools Near Pioneer 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
Pioneer Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	8402 Skansie Ave	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	Yes	No	No	(253) 530-3500	481	30	16.3	13.3%	362 (75.3%)	3 (0.6%)	44 (9.1%)	18 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (11.2%)	91.8	93^rd of 1138 public elementary schools	91.8%		87.7	133^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	88.5%	40	81.7	81.7	71.1	72.4	71.8	71.7	75.9	76.3	67.6	73.5	95.0	98.8	97.5	97.5	97.5	98.8	100.0	95.0	98.8	98.8	$16,828	$239	$16,589
Discovery Elementary School	Public	K-5	4905 Rosedale St NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1200	380	21	18.0	25.3%	289 (76.1%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.3%)	9 (2.4%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	35 (9.2%)	88.4	136^th of 1138 public elementary schools	88.0%		86.9	144^th of 1160 public elementary schools	87.6%	8	69.8	69.8	69.7	67.2	68.3	68.5	78.8	72.4	66.7	72.7	92.9	95.2	97.6	97.6	97.6	95.2	95.2	95.2	95.2	95.2	$16,737	$429	$16,308
Swift Water Elementary	Public	K-5	10811 Harbor Hill Drive	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4900	519	31	16.6	13.5%	377 (72.6%)	2 (0.4%)	47 (9.1%)	23 (4.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (13.1%)	87	157^th of 1138 public elementary schools	86.2%		85.7	153^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	86.8%	4	75.6	75.6	60.0		79.1	74.4	64.4	82.9	74.4	73.2	92.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	96.0	93.0	93.0	93.0	$18,308	$259	$18,049
Artondale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6219 40th Street NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1100	413	24	17.2	16.7%	334 (80.9%)	3 (0.7%)	27 (6.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.9%)	89.2	124^th of 1138 public elementary schools	89.1%		86.9	141^st of 1160 public elementary schools	87.8%	17	67.2	67.2	70.3	76.6	72.4	73.0	77.0		58.6	70.4	94.1	96.1	98.0	98.0	98.0	94.1	96.1	96.1	94.1	94.1	$19,219	$395	$18,824
Harbor Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4002 36th St NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-1800	397	25	16.0	20.9%	273 (68.8%)	8 (2.0%)	57 (14.4%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	47 (11.8%)	92.3	91^st of 1138 public elementary schools	92.0%		90.7	103^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	91.1%	12	73.3	73.3	76.8	76.6	71.7	75.1	84.1	78.1	63.3	75.7	93.4	93.4	93.4	93.4	93.4	93.4	95.1	93.4	93.4	93.4	$20,871	$249	$20,622
Purdy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13815 62nd Ave NW	Gig Harbor	98332	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4600	483	30	15.8	20.7%	390 (80.7%)	2 (0.4%)	45 (9.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.5%)	91.1	101^st of 1138 public elementary schools	91.1%		91.4	93^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	92.0%	8	84.0	84.0	66.3	68.4	79.0	71.0	72.5	73.7	72.8	72.9	90.6	90.6	93.8	93.8	93.8	90.6	93.8	90.6	90.6	90.6	$18,518	$258	$18,260
Voyager Elementary	Public	K-5	10615 Kopachuck Dr NW	Gig Harbor	98335	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 530-4800	443	27	16.7	12.2%	359 (81.0%)	2 (0.5%)	33 (7.4%)	13 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.1%)	89.4	119^th of 1138 public elementary schools	89.5%		87.5	134^th of 1160 public elementary schools	88.4%	15	77.0	77.0	58.3	78.9	78.4	71.9	71.8	81.7	62.7	71.9	90.2	91.8	93.4	93.4	93.4	90.2	93.4	93.4	90.2	90.2	$16,842	$372	$16,470
Minter Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	12617 118th Ave NW	Gig Harbor	98329	Pierce County	Peninsula School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 530-4300	272	17	16.1	40.4%	206 (75.7%)	2 (0.7%)	29 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (11.8%)	76.3	255^th of 1138 public elementary schools	77.6%		64.7	380^th of 1160 public elementary schools	67.2%	125	65.2	65.2	48.6	59.5	65.2	58.5	54.3	48.8	50.0	50.8	82.5	87.5	90.0	90.0	90.0	85.0	90.0	87.5	85.0	85.0	$19,445	$911	$18,535
Point Defiance Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4330 N Visscher St	Tacoma	98407	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-6900	301	19	16.2	33.9%	191 (63.5%)	13 (4.3%)	39 (13.0%)	16 (5.3%)	4 (1.3%)	7 (2.3%)	31 (10.3%)	78.6	234^th of 1138 public elementary schools	79.4%		78.5	227^th of 1160 public elementary schools	80.4%	7	81.0	81.0	56.1	58.2	83.3	64.3	70.2	53.6	54.8	60.0	88.9	88.9	97.2	97.2	97.2	91.7	91.7	97.2	91.7	91.7	$20,644	$680	$19,964
Tacoma Online Elementary School	Public, Virtual	K-5	3319 S. Adams Street	Tacoma	98409	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(253) 571-1545	144	11	12.8	66.0%	34 (23.6%)	28 (19.4%)	37 (25.7%)	7 (4.9%)	2 (1.4%)	8 (5.6%)	28 (19.4%)								(n/a)						78.6				71.4	71.4	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	$21,210	$1,472	$19,738

Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Elementary School

How many students attend Pioneer Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 481 students attended Pioneer Elementary School.

What district is Pioneer Elementary School in?

Peninsula School District

Is Pioneer Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Pioneer Elementary School ranks in the top 8.2% of Washington elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Pioneer Elementary School?

Students at Pioneer Elementary School are 75% White, 11% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

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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.