Summary
Tukwila Elementary is a PK–5 school serving 458 students at 5939 S 149th St. in Tukwila, an area near Seattle, SeaTac, and Renton. The school serves a relatively high-need population, with 71.4% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Its 2025–26 ranking was 768th of 1,138 Washington elementary schools, or approximately the 33rd percentile. That is below the statewide midpoint, but it is considerably stronger than the overall standing of the Tukwila School District, which ranked 218th of 238 districts, around the 8th percentile.
Within its district and local area, Tukwila Elementary is a relative bright spot. In 2025–26, 39.38% of students met standards in English language arts, 38.46% in math, and 40.00% in science. Each result was substantially higher than the district averages and than results at Cascade View Elementary and Thorndyke Elementary. The school also outperformed most nearby comparison schools in math, including McMicken Heights Elementary, Lakeridge Elementary School, and Bow Lake Elementary. However, it trailed stronger local performers such as Talbot Hill Elementary School and, in some subjects, Campbell Hill Elementary School.
The clearest academic concern is fifth-grade math: proficiency dropped to 18.18%, compared with 51.25% in fourth grade and 40.00% in third grade. Science also declined from 49.33% in 2024–25 to 40.00%, while ELA fell from 44.70% to 39.38%; math was relatively stable. The school’s English Language Learner effectiveness ranking, at the 41st percentile, was stronger than its overall ranking, though subgroup results varied. Families may also want to ask about staffing, because the student-teacher ratio rose from 14.4:1 in 2022–23 to 20.4:1 in 2024–25, despite per-student spending of $25,946—higher than the nearby schools reviewed. Overall, the school offers stronger results than most immediate peers but remains below state averages and would benefit from focused attention to fifth-grade math and upper-grade science.
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