Stevens Elementary School vs Rising Star Elementary School

Stevens Elementary School and Rising Star Elementary School rank among Washington's very best elementary schools, separated by just 0.3 rating points — Stevens at 9.7/10 and Rising Star at 9.4/10. That narrow gap obscures a more meaningful positional difference: Stevens Elementary School sits at #2 of 2,225 schools statewide, while Rising Star Elementary School ranks #11 of 2,225 — both extraordinary placements, but Stevens holds a slight edge at the very top of the state ladder.

Academically, the schools diverge more sharply. Stevens Elementary School scores 9.7/10 on academics versus Rising Star Elementary School's 8.3/10 — a 1.4-point difference that reflects meaningfully stronger proficiency outcomes at Stevens. Growth tells the opposite story: Rising Star Elementary School scores 9.9/10 versus Stevens Elementary School's 9.7/10, indicating that students at Rising Star are progressing at a fractionally faster rate relative to their starting points, even as their overall proficiency sits lower.

The demographic profiles of these two Seattle schools differ substantially. Stevens Elementary School enrolls 151 students compared to Rising Star Elementary School's 326 — more than double the enrollment. Stevens's free and reduced-price lunch rate is 32%, while Rising Star's is 71%, pointing to a significantly higher concentration of economically disadvantaged families at Rising Star. The student-teacher ratio at Rising Star Elementary School is 10.2:1, tighter than Stevens Elementary School's 12.6:1 — meaning Rising Star students get more individual adult attention per classroom on average, despite the larger overall enrollment.

One structural difference separates the two programs at the entry point: Rising Star Elementary School serves students beginning in pre-kindergarten, while Stevens Elementary School starts at kindergarten. Families seeking an earlier public school entry for three- or four-year-olds will find that option only at Rising Star. Both schools are located in Seattle but sit 7.2 miles apart, making neighborhood proximity a practical factor for families comparing the two.