Summary
Thorndyke Elementary is a PK–5 school with 386 students in Seattle’s Tukwila area, serving families in the Tukwila School District. The school has a high level of economic need, with 86.53% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Its 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 14.6, among the more favorable ratios in the local comparison group, and its 2023–24 spending was $24,603 per student. Thorndyke ranked in the 9th percentile statewide for 2025–26, although that is an improvement from its 1st-percentile result in 2021–22.
Academic performance is mixed by subject. Math is a relative strength: 23.08% of students were proficient, slightly above the district’s 20.42%, though well below Washington’s 43.11%. English language arts proficiency was 25%, below the district’s 29.27%, while science proficiency was 25%, nearly matching the district but below the state’s 50.95%. Third-grade ELA and fifth-grade math are notable areas for attention, with proficiency rates of 16.36% and 14.89%, respectively. Thorndyke performs better than Cascade View Elementary, Bow Lake Elementary, and Hilltop Elementary in several measures, but trails nearby Tukwila Elementary, Impact | Puget Sound Elementary, and Campbell Hill Elementary School.
For families comparing options, Tukwila Elementary is especially relevant because it is less than a mile away and serves the same district; it has considerably higher proficiency in ELA, math, and science, but also a higher student-teacher ratio of 20.4. Thorndyke’s science results have fluctuated, rising to 37.5% before falling to 25%, so consistency remains a concern. Some subgroup measures are encouraging: English-language-learner effectiveness rose to the 27th percentile in 2025–26. Overall, the clearest priorities are strengthening literacy, improving fifth-grade math, and identifying which supports are contributing to better results for selected student groups.
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