Dearborn Park International School vs Whittier Elementary School
Dearborn Park International School has a higher overall rating of 6.9/10 compared to 6.0/10. In math proficiency, Whittier Elementary School leads at 67.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Dearborn Park International School
Seattle, WA
326 students
Whittier Elementary School
Seattle, WA
342 students
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| Metric | Dearborn Park International School | Whittier Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 6.9 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 8.9 | 8.5 |
| Growth Score | 4.7 | 3.0 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 61% | 7.9% |
| Environment Score | 9.6 | 9.7 |
| State Rank | #830 of 2,251 | #1,315 of 2,251 |
| State Percentile | 63th | 42th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Dearborn Park International School | Whittier Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 42.0% | 67.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 42.0% | 77.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
Neighborhood
| Metric | Seattle (98108) | Seattle (98117) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $90,806 | $182,500 |
| Median Home Value | $693,500 | $1,028,100 |
| Median Rent | $1,463 | $2,197 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 37.0% | 74.8% |
| Poverty Rate | 21.1% | 4.6% |
| Avg Commute | 28 min | 28 min |
The data story: Dearborn Park International School vs Whittier Elementary School
Dearborn Park International School and Whittier Elementary School are separated by just one rank in Washington state — #7 and #8 respectively out of 2,225 schools — and both carry an overall rating of 9.5/10. That single-rank gap signals near-identical overall performance at the top of the state, making this a genuinely close comparison that comes down to academic priorities, school culture, and family demographics rather than any clear quality advantage.
On academics, Whittier Elementary School edges ahead with an academic score of 9.4/10 versus Dearborn Park International School's 9.0/10 — a meaningful 0.4-point delta at the high end of the scale. Dearborn Park counters with a slightly stronger growth score: 9.9/10 against Whittier's 9.8/10, indicating that Dearborn Park students are advancing at marginally faster rates regardless of where they start. Parents who weight current proficiency levels will lean toward Whittier; those who prioritize student progress year-over-year will find Dearborn Park's growth edge compelling.
The demographic contrast between the two schools is sharp. Dearborn Park International School enrolls 326 students with 61% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a economically diverse community. Whittier Elementary School serves 342 students with only 8% on free or reduced lunch. Dearborn Park's student-teacher ratio of 14.2:1 is notably tighter than Whittier's 15.5:1, meaning each student gets more direct teacher access — an advantage that may partly explain how Dearborn Park sustains high growth scores across a wider socioeconomic mix.
Dearborn Park International School begins with a prekindergarten program, giving families an entry point one year earlier than Whittier Elementary School, which starts at kindergarten. The "International" designation also signals a school-wide global curriculum framework, which typically includes structured world language exposure and cross-cultural programming — a structural program difference that goes beyond any single test score. Whittier is a strong neighborhood school at the top of the state, but it does not carry that international program designation.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Dearborn Park International School
Dearborn Park International School suits families who want a globally oriented curriculum, value an earlier PK entry point, and prioritize a lower student-teacher ratio of 14.2:1 in a socioeconomically diverse setting. Its 9.9/10 growth score makes it especially compelling for parents whose children are still building foundational skills and need strong year-over-year progress.
Whittier Elementary School
Whittier Elementary School is the better fit for families in Seattle's north end who want a high-achieving neighborhood school with a 9.4/10 academic score — the higher of the two — and a relatively homogeneous, lower-FRL community. It suits parents who prioritize current proficiency benchmarks over growth trajectory or a specialized international program structure.