Balboa Elementary vs Lincoln Heights Elementary

Balboa Elementary and Lincoln Heights Elementary are both high-performing Spokane elementary schools, but Balboa edges ahead in overall rating — 9.1/10 versus Lincoln Heights Elementary's 8.9/10. That 0.2-point gap reflects a more meaningful difference in state standing: Balboa Elementary ranks #92 of 2,225 schools in Washington, while Lincoln Heights Elementary ranks #134 of 2,225. Both sit in the top 6% statewide, making either a strong choice by any objective measure.

The academic scores tell the clearer story between the two. Balboa Elementary scores 8.9/10 academically against Lincoln Heights Elementary's 8.4/10 — a half-point gap that signals Balboa students are hitting proficiency benchmarks at a higher rate. Growth, however, flips: Lincoln Heights Elementary scores 9.2/10 versus Balboa Elementary's 9.1/10, meaning students at Lincoln Heights are making slightly faster year-over-year gains. Families weighing current achievement against trajectory will find the difference narrow but real.

On demographics and classroom structure, the two schools diverge more sharply. Balboa Elementary enrolls 253 students against Lincoln Heights Elementary's 429 — a 70% larger student body at Lincoln Heights. That scale difference carries through to the classroom: Balboa's 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio beats Lincoln Heights Elementary's 13.8:1, meaning roughly one additional adult per thirteen students. Lincoln Heights also serves a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students, with 62% qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to 51% at Balboa Elementary — a gap that matters when evaluating what each school achieves relative to its population.

One structural distinction is worth noting for families with older elementary-age children. Lincoln Heights Elementary serves grades PK through 6, while Balboa Elementary tops out at grade 5. For families with a rising sixth-grader, Lincoln Heights keeps that student in a familiar building one additional year before the middle school transition. The two schools sit 7.3 miles apart within Spokane, so geography will settle the question for many families before any other factor does.