Impact | Black River Elementary

Impact | Black River Elementary is a small Renton school serving 209 students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Its K–4 structure differs from most nearby schools, which commonly serve prekindergarten through fifth grade, so comparisons should be viewed as helpful but not perfectly equivalent. The school has a relatively high level of economic need, with 62.68% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and its reported student-teacher ratio is 15.8.

Academic results are the main concern. In 2025–2026, 28.36% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 32.84% in math, compared with 52.81% and 43.11% statewide. Impact’s ELA result was the lowest among the nearby schools with comparable all-grades data, while its math result was near the bottom. Fourth grade was the clearest pressure point: proficiency was 23.68% in ELA and 28.95% in math, lower than third grade in both subjects. Math did improve by 7.03 percentage points from the prior year, but ELA was essentially flat. The school’s current SchoolDigger listing places it at the 11th percentile, while its 2025–2026 rank history places it at the 17th percentile.

Several nearby schools provide useful context. Cascade Elementary School, only 0.56 miles away and serving a similar proportion of economically disadvantaged students, reported 46.77% ELA and 42.70% math proficiency. Tiffany Park Elementary School had a similar economic profile but higher results—45.86% in ELA and 53.50% in math. Renton Park Elementary School was closer academically, while Lake Youngs Elementary School ranked much higher locally. Impact’s small enrollment may make grade-level results more volatile, and its missing science result should be considered unknown because it does not serve fifth grade. Its high per-student spending also warrants questions about how resources are targeted, especially toward literacy, fourth-grade instruction, attendance, and student support.