Lafayette Elementary School vs Rising Star Elementary School
Rising Star Elementary School has a higher overall rating of 9.4/10 compared to 8.7/10. In math proficiency, Lafayette Elementary School leads at 67.0%.
Lafayette Elementary School
Seattle, WA
504 students
Rising Star Elementary School
Seattle, WA
326 students
Ratings Comparison
| Metric | Lafayette Elementary School | Rising Star Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 8.7 / 10 | 9.4 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 8.6 | 8.3 |
| Growth Score | 9.1 | 9.9 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 16.1% | 71.2% |
| Environment Score | 7.7 | 9.8 |
| State Rank | #141 of 2,225 | #11 of 2,225 |
| State Percentile | 94th | 100th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Lafayette Elementary School | Rising Star Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 67.0% | 37.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 72.0% | 37.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
| Detail | Lafayette Elementary School | Rising Star Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Elementary School | Elementary School |
| Grades | Pre-K – 5th | Pre-K – 5th |
| Enrollment | 504 | 326 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 17.4:1 | 10.2:1 |
| Per-Pupil Spending | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 16.1% | 71.2% |
| Chronic Absenteeism | — | — |
| District | Seattle School District No. 1 | Seattle School District No. 1 |
| City | Seattle | Seattle |
Neighborhood
| Metric | Seattle (98116) | Seattle (98108) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $130,504 | $90,806 |
| Median Home Value | $917,000 | $693,500 |
| Median Rent | $2,033 | $1,463 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 68.9% | 37.0% |
| Poverty Rate | 4.7% | 21.1% |
| Avg Commute | 32 min | 28 min |
The data story: Lafayette Elementary School vs Rising Star Elementary School
Lafayette Elementary School ranks #157 of 2225 Washington schools while Rising Star Elementary School ranks #30 of 2225 — a gap that places Rising Star in the top 1.4% of the state compared to Lafayette's top 7%. Rising Star carries the higher overall rating at 9.4/10 versus Lafayette's 8.8/10, a difference of 0.6 points that, in context of statewide competition, represents a meaningful separation in overall school quality.
The academic picture splits in an interesting direction. Lafayette Elementary School edges Rising Star Elementary School on academic score, 8.6/10 versus 8.3/10. Growth tells the opposite story: Rising Star Elementary School scores 9.9/10 on growth versus Lafayette Elementary School's 9.1/10, a 0.8-point gap suggesting Rising Star students are accelerating faster relative to their starting points. A family weighing current proficiency against trajectory will find these two schools pulling in different directions.
The demographic and structural differences between the two schools are the sharpest contrast on this list. Lafayette Elementary School enrolls 504 students at a 17.4:1 student-teacher ratio; Rising Star Elementary School serves 326 students at a 10.2:1 ratio — meaning Rising Star has roughly one additional adult for every seven students. Free and reduced lunch eligibility stands at 16% at Lafayette versus 71% at Rising Star, reflecting substantially different socioeconomic compositions across two schools separated by 5.8 miles within the same city.
Both Lafayette Elementary School and Rising Star Elementary School serve grades PK through 5, so neither holds a structural advantage on grade span. The divergence lies in scale and staffing: Rising Star's combination of a #30 state ranking and a 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio suggests concentrated resources in a smaller building, while Lafayette's stronger academic score and larger enrollment reflect a more conventional neighborhood elementary profile.
Editorial summary generated May 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Lafayette Elementary School
Lafayette Elementary School suits families who prioritize current academic proficiency benchmarks and a larger, more traditional school community. At 504 students and an 8.6/10 academic score, it fits parents who want an established neighborhood elementary with a strong proficiency track record and are less focused on intensive adult-to-student staffing ratios.
Rising Star Elementary School
Rising Star Elementary School is the better fit for families who want individualized attention — its 10.2:1 student-teacher ratio is nearly half Lafayette's — and who weight growth trajectory over raw proficiency. Its #30 state rank and 9.9/10 growth score make it especially compelling for parents whose children may benefit from more direct instructional contact in a smaller school setting.