Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 98685

ZIP code 98685 in Vancouver, Washington, has two public middle schools serving grades 6–8: Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Alki Middle School, both part of the Vancouver School District. The schools serve different-sized student populations, with Thomas Jefferson enrolling 786 students and Alki enrolling 594. Overall, Alki is the clear academic and school-quality leader based on the available rankings, test results, ratings, and staffing measures.

Alki Middle School ranks in the 80th statewide percentile and has a four-star rating. In 2025–2026, proficiency was 61.57% in English language arts, 51.26% in math, and 57.54% in science. These results were higher than both district and Washington averages, and Alki improved in all three subjects from the prior year. It also has a lower student–teacher ratio of 21.5:1 and higher reported spending per student, at $18,727. Its strongest grade-level results were eighth-grade ELA and science, while seventh-grade math was its lowest reported area but still exceeded Thomas Jefferson’s result.

Thomas Jefferson Middle School ranks in the 47th statewide percentile and has a two-star rating. Its 2025–2026 proficiency rates were 45.99% in ELA, 34.64% in math, and 44.17% in science. Although it performed above district averages in every subject and improved its statewide ranking, it remained below state averages overall. ELA improved by 3.66 percentage points, while math was nearly unchanged and science declined. The school has a higher student–teacher ratio of 23.8:1 and reported spending of $17,654 per student. For families comparing the two schools, Alki shows substantially stronger and more consistent academic performance, while Thomas Jefferson’s greatest opportunity for improvement is math.