Summary:
Schools serving ZIP code 98225 include 15 listed schools offering elementary, middle, high school, and alternative programs, mostly within the Bellingham School District, with one school in the Meridian School District. The area summary says 16 schools, so one elementary school may be missing from the detailed list. School quality varies considerably. Among elementary schools, Columbia Elementary School has the highest reported ELA proficiency at 75.26%, while Lowell Elementary School has the strongest current ranking, at the 79th percentile, and is the only listed elementary school with at least 60% proficiency in both ELA and math. Sunnyland Elementary School has also made substantial ranking gains.
Among middle schools, Fairhaven Middle School stands out as the strongest overall, ranking in the 82nd percentile and outperforming district and state results in ELA, math, and science. Whatcom Middle School also performs well, particularly in math and science. Shuksan Middle School has improved its ranking substantially, but remains below district and state averages, especially in math. At the high-school level, Bellingham High School has the strongest ELA and math results and a rapidly improving rank. Sehome High School has the best graduation rate, lowest dropout rate, and strongest science performance.
Math is the most consistent area of weakness, particularly at Options High School, Alderwood Elementary School, Birchwood Elementary School, and Shuksan. Alderwood and Birchwood also have low proficiency across all tested subjects. Families should interpret results in context: school sizes, missions, and student populations differ substantially, especially for small programs such as Visions (Seamar Youth Center) and Meridian Impact Re-Engagement. Several specialized schools have suppressed or unavailable test data, which should not be treated as zero performance.
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