Summary:
ZIP code 98403 has one listed elementary school, Lowell Elementary School, serving students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. Located in Tacoma, the school enrolls 331 students and has a 19:1 student-teacher ratio. About 30.21% of students participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program, and reported per-student spending was $20,151 in 2023–24. Since there is no second elementary school in the ZIP code, families are primarily comparing Lowell’s results with those of the Tacoma School District and Washington state.
Lowell’s latest assessment results are notably strong. In 2025–26, 80.36% of students were proficient in science, compared with 42.31% in the district and 50.95% statewide. Math proficiency was 63.06%, versus 31.16% districtwide and 43.11% statewide, while English language arts proficiency was 59.49%, compared with 44.33% in the district and 52.81% statewide. Science is the school’s clearest strength, and math also stands out. Grade-level results were generally consistent: ELA proficiency ranged from 54.00% in fourth grade to 63.46% in third grade. Reported math proficiency was 59.62% in third grade and 58.18% in fifth grade; the fourth-grade math result was suppressed, so it cannot be interpreted as either high or low.
Parents should also note that performance changed somewhat from the prior year. ELA declined from 72.73% to 59.49%, and math fell modestly from 66.23% to 63.06%, while science improved from 76.36% to 80.36%. Even after these changes, Lowell remained above district and state averages in all three subjects. The school earned four stars in each of the three reported years, though its statewide ranking moved from 124th in 2023–24 to 239th in 2025–26. Overall, Lowell offers strong academic outcomes, especially in science and math, with ELA the main area families may want to monitor.
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