Summary
Arlington Elementary School is a public PK–5 school in Tacoma, Washington, serving approximately 390 students in a neighborhood near Edison Elementary School, Manitou Park Elementary School, Birney Elementary School, Fawcett Elementary School, and other Tacoma elementary schools. Arlington serves a relatively high-need community: 75.9% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25. Its student–teacher ratio was 17.2:1, and reported spending was $21,816 per student in 2023–24.
Academically, Arlington currently performs below both the Tacoma School District and Washington averages. In 2025–26, 28.39% of students were proficient in English language arts, 21.94% in math, and 23.53% in science. Science is the clearest challenge: Arlington had the lowest science result among the nearby Tacoma comparison schools. Arlington also ranked below most nearby schools in all three subjects, including Mann Elementary School, which posted 47.47% ELA, 41.40% math, and 63.83% science proficiency. However, Arlington was slightly stronger than Manitou Park Elementary School in ELA and math. Its statewide ranking improved to approximately the 12th percentile in 2025–26, up from the 6th–7th percentile range in the previous four years.
There are some encouraging signs. Fourth-grade ELA proficiency reached 45.65%, slightly above the Tacoma district’s 43.94%, making it Arlington’s strongest tested grade-subject combination. English Language Learners also ranked comparatively well statewide, at approximately the 53rd percentile. In contrast, fifth grade needs broad support, with proficiency of 19.23% in ELA, 15.38% in math, and 23.53% in science. For families comparing schools, the key questions are how Arlington is strengthening fifth-grade instruction, improving science and math foundations, and extending the practices that appear to help fourth-grade readers and English Language Learners.
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