Olympic Middle School, Auburn WA

Original Research by School Decision on Olympic Middle School

Olympic Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the Auburn School District, located in a mid-sized suburb within the Seattle metropolitan area. The city of Auburn has a mix of residential neighborhoods, a historic downtown core, and a significant industrial presence anchored by a major Boeing plant. The school is situated in a community where the housing market reflects the broader King County area, with home values that are above the national benchmark but have seen a slight recent decline. Rents have modestly increased. The city has experienced recent annexations and new planned communities, though its overall population estimate has shown a slight recent decline.

Olympic is a large middle school, and its student body is highly diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share of enrollment, followed by White students and students who identify as two or more races, with notable representation of Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families come from lower-income backgrounds. Data on the proportion of students with disabilities or those who are English learners was not available in the source material.

On the most recent state assessments, Olympic’s academic performance was low across all tested subjects. In English language arts, the percentage of students meeting proficiency standards was roughly in the range typical for schools in the bottom tier among the district’s peers. Math proficiency was markedly lower, and science results also fell well below state expectations. These results place the school’s overall proficiency index in the bottom quartile compared to other districts within King County. Because only one year of data was available, there is no trend to assess whether scores are improving or declining. A parent considering this school should ask the district and school administration about the specific instructional strategies and support programs in place to address these achievement levels.

The district itself has outlined a five-year strategic plan that is currently in effect, which sets broad goals for curriculum and instruction through 2027. The district also reports having undertaken major capital construction spending, suggesting active investment in school facilities, which may impact the learning environment or attendance boundaries over time.

Olympic Middle School does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate data is reported. The school is in a community where many families commute to work by car, and the downtown area provides a transit hub. The school campus is separate from the downtown core, located in a residential neighborhood. A parent weighing this school would be looking at a large, diverse middle school environment in a community with a mix of suburban and industrial character, but with state test results that are a clear soft spot and warrant direct inquiry with the school about their academic support and intervention programs.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 26% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 721%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 22% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 38% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 36% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 41%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Science

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 31% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

This schoolAuburn School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income52%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income42%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income46%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income46%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income7%Higher-income18%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income13%Higher-income22%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income30%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income22%8 pp gap