Alki Elementary School vs Hawthorne Elementary School

Hawthorne Elementary School holds a clear edge in overall standing, rated 9.6/10 against Alki Elementary School's 9.0/10 — a 0.6-point gap that translates to a dramatic difference in state rank: Hawthorne sits at #4 of 2,225 schools in Washington, while Alki ranks #66 of 2,225. Both are excellent schools by any measure, but Hawthorne's position places it among the very top handful of elementary schools statewide, not merely in the top tier.

Academically, the gap narrows considerably. Hawthorne Elementary School scores 9.3/10 in academics versus Alki Elementary School's 9.1/10 — a 0.2-point difference. The growth score tells a similar story: Hawthorne reaches 9.9/10 compared to Alki's already-strong 9.6/10. Both schools are driving meaningful learning gains, but Hawthorne's near-perfect growth score suggests students there are consistently outpacing expected trajectories regardless of where they start.

The two schools serve different student populations across a 5.8-mile gap in Seattle. Hawthorne Elementary School enrolls 374 students with a 26% free and reduced-price lunch rate, pointing to a more economically diverse student body. Alki Elementary School is smaller at 270 students with a 14% FRL rate. The student-teacher ratio also favors Hawthorne — 15.0:1 compared to Alki's 18.0:1 — meaning Hawthorne parents can expect meaningfully more teacher attention per child despite Hawthorne's larger total enrollment.

Both schools serve grades PK–05, so the program range is identical. The practical differentiator here is not structure but performance ceiling: Hawthorne's state rank of #4 puts it in rarefied company, while Alki's #66 ranking still outperforms roughly 97% of Washington elementary schools. Families weighing the two are choosing between two genuinely high-performing schools, with Hawthorne holding the stronger hand on growth, student-teacher ratio, and statewide rank.