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Below Average

#1841 of 2,228 schools in WA

Bow Lake Elementary

Elementary School · Highline School District · Seatac, WA

A Highline School District elementary school where students score 9 points below what's typical for similar communities.

18237 42nd Ave S, Seatac, WA 98188

  • Math 17% vs WA 46% (2024)
  • Reading 17% vs WA 50% (2024)
  • 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress4.9Below Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data12
Annual Change-1.93 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.9Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency17.6% (2024 SBA)
Reading/ELA Proficiency17.1% (2024 SBA)
Math vs. State Avg-34.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-31.3 pts
Overall Proficiency17% (2024 SBA, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)26% (model expectation from 2024 SBA)
vs. Expected-8.5 pts
Adjusted Percentile11th
Resources & Environment7.0Very Good20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.2:1
District spending per student$20,594
Chronic Absenteeism43.8%

Students at Bow Lake Elementary score 17% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 26%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 SBA proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WA average.

Math Proficiency17%(2024 SBA)
School
State
46%(2024 SBA)
ELA Proficiency17%(2024 SBA)
School
State
50%(2024 SBA)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 19 points since 2018, to 17% in 2024, across a 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 12 years
2009
Math
44%
ELA
51%
2010
Math
40%
ELA
41%
2011
Math
47%
ELA
46%
2012
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2014
Math
38%
ELA
34%
2015
Math
36%
ELA
38%
2016
Math
35%
ELA
38%
2017
Math
35%
ELA
41%
2018
Math
35%
ELA
38%
2019
Math
35%
ELA
38%
2022
Math
17%
ELA
21%
2024
Math
17%
ELA
17%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 34% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 32 test records from WA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

81.7%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Bow Lake Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Seattle map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 27Car-Dependent
  • Transit 54Good Transit
  • Bike 37Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,376/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Seatac), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$76,559

Median home value

$452,900

Median rent

$1,641/mo

College educated

26.5%

Homeownership

41.6%

Poverty rate

9.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 98188; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Seattle Christian SchoolsPrivate · tuition6.6privateK–120.4 mi516Compare →
Valley View Early Childhood CenterEnrollment path unverified5.1PK0.5 mi220Compare →
Mcmicken Heights ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.3PK–51.0 mi498Compare →
Madrona ElementaryEnrollment path unverified3.9PK–51.4 mi333Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Highline School District

Schools in district
43
Rank in district
#21 of 34
District spending per student
$20,594NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
16.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Bow Lake Elementary is listed in Highline School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Bow Lake Elementary

Bow Lake Elementary is a public elementary school in Seatac, WA, part of Highline School District, serving approximately 520 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 out of 10 and ranks #1,841 of 2,228 schools in WA. State assessment records show 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 34% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Bow Lake Elementary

What grades does Bow Lake Elementary serve?

Bow Lake Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Bow Lake Elementary?

Bow Lake Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 520 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bow Lake Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Bow Lake Elementary is 16.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Bow Lake Elementary rank in WA?

Bow Lake Elementary ranks #1,841 of 2,228 schools in WA.

What is Bow Lake Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Bow Lake Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Bow Lake Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Bow Lake Elementary has 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 34% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Bow Lake Elementary a charter school?

No, Bow Lake Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Bow Lake Elementary a Title I school?

No, Bow Lake Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Bow Lake Elementary?

81.7% of students at Bow Lake Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
520
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
32
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
King County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
43.8%
Area population (ZIP 98188)
26,769
Area average commute
24.1 min
Area median age
36.8
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2024 SBA · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2024 SBA · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 98188; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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