Summary:
ZIP code 98439 contains one listed school, Carter Lake Elementary School, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. With about 420 students, it is the only local school option identified in the ZIP code, so there are no nearby schools in the area to compare directly. The school is part of the Clover Park School District and has a student-teacher ratio of 14.6 to 1.
Carter Lake’s academic results are mixed but generally stronger than the district averages. In 2025–26, 51.74% of students were proficient in English language arts, compared with 40.88% districtwide and 52.81% statewide. Math was the school’s strongest comparative subject: 44.78% of students were proficient, versus 28.80% in the district and 43.11% statewide. Science was more challenging, with 41.38% proficiency compared with 50.95% statewide, although the school still exceeded the district’s 37.31%. Third grade was the strongest grade in both English and math, while fourth-grade math and fifth-grade science were the clearest areas needing attention.
Results have been fairly stable recently: English declined slightly, math edged up, and science fell by about two percentage points from the prior year. Carter Lake ranked near the middle of Washington elementary schools in 2025–26, at the 50th percentile, after ranking at the 49th percentile the previous year. About 46.67% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves families with varied economic circumstances. Overall, parents can expect a school that performs considerably better than its district averages, particularly in math, while science and some upper-grade results may warrant closer attention.
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