Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 98388

Elementary schools in ZIP code 98388 include two schools serving preschool through fifth grade in the Steilacoom Hist. School District: Cherrydale Primary serves preschool through grade 3, while Saltars Point Elementary serves grades 4 and 5. Together, they enroll 785 students and provide a grade-by-grade elementary pathway rather than competing schools serving the same full range of grades.

Saltars Point Elementary stands out for its improving statewide performance. Its ranking rose from the 57th percentile in 2023–24 to the 74th percentile in 2025–26, when it earned four stars. Science is its strongest subject, with 66.37% of students proficient, compared with 50.95% statewide. Saltars Point also exceeded state results in English language arts and math. However, math declined from the previous year, and its overall ELA result remained below the district average. Fifth-grade ELA performance was notably stronger than fourth-grade performance, while fifth-grade math was somewhat lower than fourth-grade math.

Cherrydale Primary has the area’s strongest mathematics results: 65.66% of students were proficient in 2025–26, more than 22 percentage points above the state rate and nearly 18 points above the district rate. Math also improved from the prior year. Cherrydale reports a lower student–teacher ratio and higher spending per student than Saltars Point, though these figures do not by themselves establish why performance differs. Its main area to monitor is ELA, which declined year over year and remained below the district average. Overall, both schools performed above state averages, with Cherrydale strongest in math and Saltars Point strongest in science and statewide ranking momentum.