Summary:
ZIP code 98406 has four Tacoma public elementary schools serving grades PK–5 overall, with enrollments ranging from 298 to 378 students and substantial differences in academic performance.
Jefferson Elementary School is the clear standout. It ranks 152nd of 1,138 Washington elementary schools, in the 87th percentile, and leads the local schools in ELA, math, and science. About 75% of students are proficient in ELA, 67% in math, and 69% in science, well above both Tacoma School District and state averages. Grant Elementary School is the second-strongest option, ranking in the 73rd percentile. It also exceeds state averages in all three subjects, has relatively steady grade-level results, and improved its statewide ranking over the past year. Grant’s science performance is especially strong.
Skyline Elementary School and Downing Elementary School have lower current results and merit closer review. Skyline ranks in the 42nd percentile and is below state averages in ELA, math, and science; its weakest result is fifth-grade math at 21%. Downing ranks in the 40th percentile after a sharp decline from the 84th percentile two years earlier. Its ELA, math, and science scores each fell roughly 15–17 percentage points in the latest year. Across the ZIP code, math is the biggest challenge, particularly in upper elementary grades, while science is the strongest subject overall. Parents comparing schools should look beyond the ZIP-code average, since Jefferson and Grant raise the area’s overall results while Skyline and Downing perform considerably lower.
Thank you for your feedback!