Dearborn Park International School vs Montlake Elementary School

Dearborn Park International School edges Montlake Elementary School by 0.5 points overall, 9.5 versus 9.0 out of 10, but the state rank gap is more striking: Dearborn Park International School sits at #7 of 2,225 schools in Washington while Montlake Elementary School ranks #68 of 2,225. Both outcomes place these schools in the top 3% of the state, meaning either choice puts a Seattle family in genuinely elite elementary territory — the difference is a matter of degree, not kind.

The two schools split the academic scoreboard in opposite directions. Montlake Elementary School leads on academic proficiency with a 9.4 out of 10 versus Dearborn Park International School's 9.0, suggesting stronger current test-score outcomes. Dearborn Park International School counters with a growth score of 9.9 out of 10 against Montlake Elementary School's 8.5 — a 1.4-point gap that signals Dearborn Park's students are gaining ground at an unusually fast rate regardless of where they start. Families prioritizing trajectory over snapshot performance will weigh that growth lead heavily.

The demographic profiles of these two schools diverge sharply. Dearborn Park International School enrolls 326 students compared to Montlake Elementary School's 167, making it nearly twice as large. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility tells an even starker story: 61% at Dearborn Park International School versus 9% at Montlake Elementary School. That 52-percentage-point gap reflects fundamentally different student populations and suggests Dearborn Park is achieving its near-top state rank while serving a much higher share of economically disadvantaged families — a meaningful equity signal. Student-teacher ratios are close, 14.2:1 at Dearborn Park International School and 13.9:1 at Montlake Elementary School, so class size is not a meaningful differentiator.

One structural difference separates the two programs: Dearborn Park International School serves grades PK through 5, while Montlake Elementary School begins at kindergarten. Families with a preschool-age child seeking continuity from pre-K through fifth grade in a single building will find only Dearborn Park International School offers that span. The two schools sit 6.1 miles apart within Seattle, making neighborhood proximity a practical factor alongside program fit.