Dearborn Park International School vs Lafayette Elementary School

Dearborn Park International School and Lafayette Elementary School are both Seattle public elementary schools serving grades PK–05, but they sit far apart in Washington's statewide rankings. Dearborn Park International School holds a 9.5/10 overall rating and ranks #7 of 2,225 schools statewide, while Lafayette Elementary School earns an 8.7/10 and ranks #141 of 2,225 — a meaningful 134-spot gap that reflects consistently stronger performance across every measured dimension at Dearborn Park.

The academic and growth data reinforce that separation. Dearborn Park International School scores 9.0/10 in academics versus Lafayette Elementary School's 8.6/10 — a 0.4-point edge that compounds with a sharper growth advantage. On the growth metric, Dearborn Park International School posts a 9.9/10 against Lafayette Elementary School's 9.1/10, an 0.8-point difference suggesting students at Dearborn Park are outpacing peers at a faster rate year-over-year, not merely arriving with stronger preparation.

The two schools diverge significantly on demographics and staffing. Dearborn Park International School enrolls 326 students compared to Lafayette Elementary School's 504, and its student-teacher ratio of 14.2:1 is noticeably leaner than Lafayette's 17.4:1 — meaning each Dearborn Park teacher serves roughly three fewer students on average. Free and reduced lunch eligibility tells a sharply different socioeconomic story: 61% of Dearborn Park International School students qualify, versus only 16% at Lafayette Elementary School. Dearborn Park is serving a substantially higher-need population and achieving top-7 statewide results while doing so.

Both schools share the same grade band — PK through 5th — and sit 4.7 miles apart within Seattle. The international designation at Dearborn Park International School signals a program identity distinct from Lafayette's traditional neighborhood elementary model, which may matter for families seeking a globally-oriented curriculum framework alongside the school's demonstrated academic and growth outcomes.