Best Public Schools in Zip Code 98520

Summary:

This analysis covers 13 schools serving grades K-12 in the Aberdeen, WA area (zip code 98520), revealing a district facing significant challenges but with notable variation in performance between individual schools.

Most schools are part of the Aberdeen School District, which ranks in the bottom 11% of Washington districts. Standout schools include Central Park Elementary, the highest-ranked elementary, and McDermoth Elementary, which excels in science. In contrast, Robert Gray Elementary and Harbor Junior/Senior High School are among the lowest-performing, with Harbor High ranked last in the state. The alternative Wishkah Valley Elementary/High School shows strong results with a low student-teacher ratio.

Key findings include a sharp drop in 5th-grade math scores across multiple elementary schools and that higher per-student spending does not guarantee better outcomes. Graduation rates vary widely, from 21.5% at Harbor Open Doors to 81% at the largest school, J M Weatherwax High School. While the area faces systemic academic hurdles, the success of some schools suggests effective practices that could be models for improvement.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)				SBAC English Language Arts (2025)								SBAC Math (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
A J West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Bay Ave.	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2131	281	19	14.7	85.8%	124 (44.1%)	2 (0.7%)	121 (43.1%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	19 (6.8%)	23.1	933^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	19.6%		17.2	1010^th of 1168 public elementary schools	13.5%	77	28.3			28.3	54.6	27.1	34.8					38.4	40.9	33.3	19.6					31.2	85.1	91.5	91.5	91.5	91.5	89.4	95.7	91.5	89.4	89.4	$21,867	$3,205	$18,661
Harbor Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	300 N. Williams St.	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2180	128	8	16.6	82.0%	76 (59.4%)	5 (3.9%)	27 (21.1%)	1 (0.8%)	6 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (10.2%)	2.9	437^th of 438 public high schools	0.2%		4.2	433^rd of 437 public high schools	0.9%	4		33.3	19.1	25.0						26.7	20.8	20.4																			$21,789	$2,514	$19,274
Central Park Elementary	Public	K-5	601 School Road	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2170	111	9	11.8	58.6%	80 (72.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (17.1%)	2 (1.8%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.3%)	42.8	646^th of 1160 public elementary schools	44.3%		36.8	725^th of 1168 public elementary schools	37.9%	79	40.0			40.0	40.0	57.1	40.0					44.1	50.0	71.4	24.0					44.1											$19,662	$1,846	$17,816
J M Weatherwax High School	Public	9-12	410 North G Street	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 538-2043	919	45	20.3	60.5%	474 (51.6%)	14 (1.5%)	340 (37.0%)	14 (1.5%)	14 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	61 (6.6%)	28.4	324^th of 438 public high schools	26.0%		18.5	370^th of 437 public high schools	15.3%	46			37.4	37.1							55.4	54.9							18.8	18.6											$19,391	$2,422	$16,970
McDermoth Elementary	Public	K-5	409 North K St	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2121	288	17	16.9	68.4%	168 (58.3%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (30.2%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.0%)	35.4	742^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	36.0%		33.9	773^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	33.8%	31	56.3			56.3	37.0	42.1	54.2					44.3	40.7	39.5	22.9					34.3	81.5	85.2	85.2	85.2	85.2	83.3	85.2	85.2	83.3	83.3	$19,828	$2,444	$17,384
Miller Junior High	Public	6-8	100 E Lindstrom	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2100	656	33	20.1	69.8%	322 (49.1%)	10 (1.5%)	250 (38.1%)	4 (0.6%)	10 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	59 (9.0%)	11.9	485^th of 534 public middle schools	9.2%		14	472^nd of 535 public middle schools	11.8%	13		24.5		24.5				23.7	33.7	32.7		29.7				13.6	16.5	18.0		15.9											$16,732	$2,473	$14,259
Robert Gray Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1516 North B St	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2140	210	13	16.2	80.0%	99 (47.1%)	1 (0.5%)	91 (43.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	17 (8.1%)	7.8	1118^th of 1160 public elementary schools	3.6%		6.2	1134^th of 1168 public elementary schools	2.9%	16	22.9			22.9	13.9	22.7	28.6					21.7	31.4	20.5						19.3	82.9	82.9	88.6	88.6	88.6	85.7	94.3	85.7	85.7	85.7	$22,280	$2,955	$19,325
Stevens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 S. Farragut	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 538-2150	332	18	18.5	87.0%	125 (37.7%)	5 (1.5%)	173 (52.1%)	3 (0.9%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.7%)	17.2	997^th of 1160 public elementary schools	14.1%		15.6	1029^th of 1168 public elementary schools	11.9%	32	30.0			30.0	32.1	25.5	47.5					34.0	28.6	23.5	27.5					26.5	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.8	$19,738	$2,775	$16,963
Grays Harbor Juvenile Detention	Public	6-12	103 Junction City Rd.	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 538-2189	11	2	5.5	45.5%	4 (36.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (54.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																															$24,079	$2,203	$21,876
Twin Harbors A Branch of New Market Skills Center	Public	9-12	410 North G Street	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 538-2040	31	0		22.6%	20 (64.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (29.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.2%)								(n/a)																															$11,588	$378	$11,209
Grays Harbor Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	300 N. Williams St.	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	Yes	No	(360) 538-2180	64	1	49.6	64.1%	36 (56.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (34.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (6.3%)								(n/a)											54.6	27.0																			$15,042	$1,660	$13,382
Harbor Open Doors	Public	10-12	300 N. Williams St.	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 538-2180	49	1	48.5	69.4%	31 (63.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (24.5%)	1 (2.0%)	3 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.1%)								(n/a)																															$10,355	$461	$9,895
Wishkah Valley Elementary/High School	Public, Alternative	K-12	4640 Wishkah Rd.	Aberdeen	98520	Grays Harbor County	Wishkah Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 532-3128	178	17	10.3	60.7%	147 (82.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (9.6%)								(n/a)		28.6		45.5		50.0		55.6	28.6	28.6	63.6	42.2	33.3			38.9				31.1	75.0	75.0	83.3	83.3	83.3	75.0	91.7	75.0	75.0	75.0	$23,219	$863	$22,357

Cities Near Zip Code 98520

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Aberdeen	4.6 mi	14	247^th
Cosmopolis	6.29 mi	2	241^st
Hoquiam	6.82 mi	6	267^th
Montesano	8.39 mi	3	64^th
Ocean Shores	9.67 mi	3	236^th

See the top WA Washington cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.