Summary:
ZIP code 98597 has six public elementary schools serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, all in the Yelm School District. Together, they enroll 2,642 students and show meaningful differences in academic performance, class size, spending, and recent progress. Across the area, average proficiency is about 51% in English language arts, 51% in math, and 55% in science, with science showing the strongest overall results.
Fort Stevens Elementary is the clear academic leader. It posted the highest 2025–2026 results in all three subjects—61% in ELA, 62% in math, and 60% in science—and was the only school above both district and state averages across every subject. It also had the highest statewide rank and the lowest student–teacher ratio. Yelm Prairie Elementary stands out for science and math, while McKenna Elementary offers balanced ELA and math performance, including especially strong fourth-grade results. Mill Pond Elementary School has improved in ELA and math and shows solid upper-grade results.
Lackamas Elementary has the strongest improvement story, gaining substantially in ELA and science and rising from the 29th to the 54th percentile statewide over three years. Its fifth-grade math remains an area to watch. Southworth Elementary is the largest school but currently has the weakest results, ranking below district and state averages in all three subjects. Its fifth-grade math proficiency was particularly low at 20%, and its performance declined in each subject year over year. Parents comparing schools should look beyond overall averages, since grade-level results vary considerably; Fort Stevens is the strongest overall choice based on the available data, while Lackamas is notable for momentum and Southworth merits the closest review.
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