Best Public Schools in Zip Code 98444

Schools in ZIP code 98444 include nine public schools serving elementary, middle, and high school students: six elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools. The schools enroll about 4,631 students across the Franklin Pierce School District and Tacoma School District. Overall results vary widely, and math is the most common academic weakness. Student needs also differ, with free- or reduced-price lunch eligibility ranging from about 47% to 75%. These figures provide context, but they do not by themselves explain why schools perform differently.

Among the strongest academic options, Industrial Design Engineering and Arts has the highest overall ranking in the area and stands out for science, where 73.68% of students reached proficiency. Its ELA result was also the strongest among the high schools, although math was weaker. Collins Elementary is the highest-ranked elementary school and had the area’s best elementary science result, along with improving ELA, math, and science scores. James Sales Elementary led all elementary schools in math and posted strong ELA results despite serving a relatively high-need student population. Washington High School has weaker assessment results, especially in math, but its 2024–2025 graduation rate was 92.7%, with a 2.9% dropout rate—better than district and state comparisons.

The greatest concerns are Perry G Keithley Middle School and Christensen Elementary, both of which rank near the bottom statewide. Perry G Keithley has low proficiency in all subjects, particularly math, while Christensen had very low science results and notable declines in ELA and math. Fern Hill Elementary School also experienced a substantial science decline. Other schools, including Brookdale Elementary and Helen Stafford Elementary School, fall between the local leaders and lower performers. Parents comparing schools should look beyond overall rankings and consider subject-specific results, recent trends, graduation data where available, and the differences between elementary, middle, and high school performance.