Oak Harbor Elementary vs Hillcrest Elementary

Oak Harbor Elementary and Hillcrest Elementary sit 1.5 miles apart in Oak Harbor, Washington, yet their overall ratings diverge meaningfully: Oak Harbor Elementary scores 9.6/10 against Hillcrest Elementary's 9.0/10, a 0.6-point gap that translates to a significant difference in state standing. Oak Harbor Elementary ranks #3 of 2,225 schools statewide, while Hillcrest Elementary ranks #61 of 2,225 — both exceptional placements, but Oak Harbor Elementary's position puts it in the top 0.1% of all Washington elementary schools.

Academically, the two schools are close but not identical. Oak Harbor Elementary posts a 9.4/10 academic score to Hillcrest Elementary's 9.3/10 — a narrow edge. The more telling gap is in growth: Oak Harbor Elementary's 9.9/10 growth score outpaces Hillcrest Elementary's 9.4/10 by half a point, suggesting students at Oak Harbor Elementary are advancing at a faster rate relative to expectations, regardless of where they start.

On demographics and classroom structure, the schools diverge more sharply. Oak Harbor Elementary enrolls 403 students compared to Hillcrest Elementary's 509, and that smaller enrollment supports a tighter student-teacher ratio — 13.9:1 at Oak Harbor Elementary versus 16.4:1 at Hillcrest Elementary. Oak Harbor Elementary also serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students, with 49% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch against 35% at Hillcrest Elementary. That Oak Harbor Elementary achieves its near-perfect scores while serving a broader socioeconomic mix makes its growth score especially notable.

One structural difference worth noting for families with younger children: Oak Harbor Elementary serves grades PK through 04, meaning it offers a pre-kindergarten program, while Hillcrest Elementary begins at kindergarten. Families seeking a single school for their child from age 4 through 4th grade will find Oak Harbor Elementary the only option of the two that covers that full span.