The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on A J West Elementary
A J West Elementary serves students from preschool through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Aberdeen School District, located in the city of Aberdeen on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The school is one of the elementary options for families living in Aberdeen, a city that has been economically anchored by timber, fishing, and the Port of Grays Harbor and is now working to broaden its base with retail, diversified industry, and tourism. The city’s population has held essentially steady for the past two decades.
The student body at A J West is diverse in its composition. White students make up the largest single group, followed closely by Hispanic students, and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A substantial majority of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. The school is a neighborhood elementary, not a charter or magnet school, and no information was available on Title I status.
Parents considering A J West will want to look carefully at the state testing results, which represent a single year of data. In English language arts, proficiency rates were highest in third grade and dropped noticeably in fourth and fifth grades. In math, the same pattern held, with third-grade proficiency at a moderate level and fourth and fifth grades considerably lower. On the fifth-grade science assessment, about a quarter of students met the proficiency bar. Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Grays Harbor County, a position that reflects the school’s current academic standing. Only one year of testing data was available for this report, so no trend can be established.
The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s enrollment is modest for its grade band, and the small number of students in grades six and seven likely reflects a small special education or alternative placement arrangement rather than a regular middle school program, as the school is not structured to serve those grades.
The Aberdeen School District secured voter approval in early 2022 for a replacement levy that funds educational programs, staffing, athletics, and extracurricular activities. This levy replaced an expiring one and represents a recurring financial commitment for district homeowners. Families moving into the area should factor this into their housing costs.
Housing in the school’s attendance area is notably more affordable than statewide averages. Home values are well below the Washington median, and rents are modest relative to the national rent-to-income benchmark. The local housing market saw a slight dip in values over the past year, while rents have edged upward. For a family seeking a lower-cost entry point into the Washington housing market, Aberdeen and its school district offer that possibility, though the area’s economic transition means job growth may be uneven.
No information was available on the school’s locale classification, chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, course access, or staffing ratios. A parent considering A J West would do well to visit the school, talk to the principal about class sizes and support services, and ask about how the school addresses the academic gaps visible in the testing data. The school’s website and the district office can provide further details on before- and after-school programs, special education services, and family engagement opportunities.
A J West Elementary is a neighborhood school in a working city that is reinventing itself. It serves a high-need student population with test scores that give a parent reason to ask questions about academic support. The school’s size and setting are typical of a district elementary, and the surrounding community offers a relatively affordable housing market and a set of civic anchors including a regional library and transit connections. For a family that values a small, diverse, public elementary in a coastal Washington town with a historic downtown and access to the Olympic Peninsula, A J West is worth a close look, paired with direct inquiries about how the school is working to raise student achievement.
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