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John Hay Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
378th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,138 Washington Elementary Schools
Better than 67% of Washington elementary schools
Summary

John Hay Elementary School is a small public PK–5 school in Seattle’s Queen Anne area, serving 257 students as part of the Seattle School District No. 1. The school is in a strong district ranked in the 81st percentile statewide, and John Hay itself ranks in the 67th percentile among Washington schools. Its current results are above the state average, but the school’s performance is more modest when compared with many nearby Seattle schools.

In 2025–26, John Hay students posted proficiency rates of 54.9% in English language arts, 53.4% in math, and 61.76% in science. Science is the school’s strongest subject relative to Washington, while ELA is its largest gap compared with the district. Fourth grade stands out as the strongest grade in both ELA and math, at 63.16% and 60.53%, respectively; third and fifth grade results are less consistent. John Hay improved from a difficult 2024–25 year, especially in science, but its results remain below earlier performance and its former 4- and 5-star levels. Its 11:1 student-teacher ratio and relatively high spending per student are potential strengths, although they have not yet translated into top local results.

Nearby comparisons show how competitive the area is. At 0.38 miles away, Queen Anne Elementary reported 84.42% ELA and 78.48% math proficiency, while Frantz Coe Elementary School reported 87.91% and 86.98%. Other nearby schools, including B F Day Elementary School, Tops K-8 School, and Montlake Elementary School, also generally outperform John Hay. The comparison should be viewed in context because schools differ in enrollment, programs, and student needs. Key issues to watch are sustained ELA improvement, stronger third- and fifth-grade outcomes, continued science recovery, and more stable results for economically disadvantaged students.

257
Students ?
11.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$24,733
Per pupil spending ?
30.0%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
89.5%
Kindergartners complete for all required immunizations (2025-26)
Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)
 201 Garfield St
       Seattle, WA  98109-3177

(206) 252-2100

District: Seattle School District No. 1


Students who attend John Hay Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    McClure Middle School
High:    Lincoln High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
44.0%
Hispanic:
21.4%
Asian:
16.3%
more
 See top rated Washington elementary schools

 Compare John Hay Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Washington average (55% vs 48% meeting standards)
✓Above the Washington median (67th percentile)
✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school55%
District avg64%
Washington avg48%
378th of 1,138
Washington public elementary schools ?
Top 33%▼ down 25 pts since 2016
From top 8% (2016) to top 33% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
38th of 68Elementary Schools in the Seattle School District No. 1
45th of 238Seattle School District No. 1 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202664.4378 of 113866.8%★★★☆☆
202551.4545 of 116053.0%★★★☆☆
202476.4258 of 116877.9%★★★★☆
202375.1275 of 116976.5%★★★★☆
202286.4149 of 116987.3%★★★★☆
202188.2126 of 110788.6%★★★★☆
201987.5114 of 113089.9%★★★★☆
201892.063 of 105494.0%★★★★★
201790.977 of 105692.7%★★★★★
201689.688 of 105391.6%★★★★★
201595.924 of 106797.8%★★★★★
201392.030 of 110697.3%★★★★★
201293.813 of 109798.8%★★★★★
201194.315 of 109298.6%★★★★★
201093.423 of 108897.9%★★★★★
200995.212 of 107298.9%★★★★★
200895.213 of 106798.8%★★★★★
200795.317 of 106998.4%★★★★★
200695.59 of 105199.1%★★★★★
200590.555 of 103194.7%★★★★★
200492.443 of 102695.8%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
201964.374 of 20163.2%★★★☆☆
201885.815 of 16991.1%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202652.1483 of 102052.6%★★★☆☆
202556.2452 of 109258.6%★★★☆☆
202471.0286 of 109373.8%★★★★☆
202374.4251 of 109477.1%★★★★☆
202289.697 of 110091.2%★★★★★
202193.961 of 100893.9%★★★★★
201991.557 of 106894.7%★★★★★
201888.987 of 100491.3%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
201895.316 of 54097.0%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202535.7696 of 101331.3%★★☆☆☆
202482.888 of 102491.4%★★★★★
202352.5461 of 101354.5%★★★☆☆
201976.4127 of 97987.0%★★★★☆
201868.3191 of 83577.1%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202666.3331 of 105968.7%★★★☆☆
202552.7489 of 109855.5%★★★☆☆
202478.3220 of 109980.0%★★★★☆
202373.4267 of 109975.7%★★★★☆
202279.9212 of 111381.0%★★★★☆
202176.7224 of 102578.1%★★★★☆
201977.9216 of 107579.9%★★★★☆
201893.532 of 99996.8%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202291.69 of 25296.4%★★★★★
201877.339 of 21281.6%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202661.1134 of 43269.0%★★★☆☆
202273.277 of 47883.9%★★★★☆
201989.628 of 56695.1%★★★★★
201896.213 of 63798.0%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202660.7361 of 90159.9%★★★☆☆
202558.8407 of 100759.6%★★★☆☆
202476.0223 of 100977.9%★★★★☆
202378.1212 of 101179.0%★★★★☆
202285.1119 of 103188.5%★★★★☆
202183.6128 of 94386.4%★★★★☆
201984.6116 of 102788.7%★★★★☆
201888.547 of 83394.4%★★★★★
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)
Hispanic (2018)97th percentile+3 vs school
Multi-racial (2022)96th percentile+9 vs school
Special Education (2026)69th percentile~ school
Male (2026)69th percentile~ school
Asian (2019)63rd percentile-27 vs school
White (2026)60th percentile-7 vs school
Female (2026)53rd percentile-14 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)31st percentile-22 vs school
By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?
Science62%+11 vs state
English Language Arts55%~ state avg
Math53%+10 vs state

2.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a parent
Friday, June 1, 2018

Open Quote We attended kindergarten at John Hay but switched to a different school following our experience there. Our core issues were:

Frequent screen time: at John Hay, our kids had a minimum of 30 minutes of screen time per week, often much more. At our new school, screen time was rare.

Tailored education: our daughter often complained of being bored, and she was. There was very little tailoring of education for students, they all did the same thing / learned things at the same time. We had to supplement her learning with additional worksheets at home, to keep her busy in class, as the teachers offered no solution.

Communication from the principal: this was horrendous. Very little transparency. Difficulty getting a response to concerns.

Mom cliques: The cliquiness was so WEIRD. It's as though we were all in high school again. Many moms I know whose kids attend (or attended) Hay felt uncomfortable with this aspect of the school (these are college educated moms - some stay-at-home, some with careers, all frustrated by the cattiness). Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about John Hay Elementary School

Students who attend John Hay Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : McClure Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

John Hay Elementary School ranks 378th of 1138 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 257 students attended John Hay Elementary School.

Students at John Hay Elementary School are 44% White, 21% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 5% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

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Latest Washington data All new data »
2016–17 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026
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


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.

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