View Ridge Elementary School vs Hawthorne Elementary School

Hawthorne Elementary School ranks #4 of 2,225 schools in Washington state, compared to View Ridge Elementary School at #69 of 2,225 — a 65-position gap that reflects a meaningful difference in overall performance despite both schools sitting near the top of the state. Hawthorne's overall rating of 9.6/10 edges View Ridge's 9.0/10 by 0.6 points, making Hawthorne one of the strongest-performing elementary schools in Washington by any measure.

The academic and growth scores tell a split story. View Ridge Elementary School holds a slight edge in raw academic achievement at 9.7/10 versus Hawthorne Elementary School's 9.3/10 — a difference of 0.4 points suggesting View Ridge students score somewhat higher on proficiency benchmarks. However, Hawthorne pulls sharply ahead on growth: a 9.9/10 versus View Ridge's 8.8/10, an 11-point gap indicating Hawthorne students are advancing faster relative to their starting points. For families who care not just about where students are but how quickly they're progressing, Hawthorne's growth advantage is substantial.

Hawthorne Elementary School serves 374 students compared to View Ridge Elementary School's 282, making it a larger campus by 92 students. Despite the larger enrollment, Hawthorne maintains a tighter student-teacher ratio of 15.0:1 against View Ridge's 16.6:1, meaning Hawthorne students get slightly more teacher contact per day. The two schools differ more sharply on economic composition: 26% of Hawthorne students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch versus 12% at View Ridge, reflecting a broader socioeconomic mix at Hawthorne and a more economically homogeneous, higher-income population at View Ridge.

Both schools serve grades PK through 5 and sit 7.9 miles apart within Seattle. Because they share the same grade band and city, the choice comes down to priorities within a family's reach — neither school requires a different schooling model or age-group consideration.