Four Heroes Elementary, Lakewood WA

Original Research by School Decision on Four Heroes Elementary

Four Heroes Elementary is a regular public school in Lakewood, Washington, serving students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Clover Park School District. The school sits in a suburban city that is the second largest in Pierce County and defined by its close relationship with Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a dominant local employer that shapes the economy and community character. Lakewood has no traditional downtown, with commercial life spread across shopping centers and corridors like the International District along South Tacoma Way, and the city offers a range of parks, a commuter rail station, and both a community college and a technical college.

The student body at Four Heroes is large for an elementary school. A substantial majority of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a defining characteristic of the school community. The student population is notably diverse. Hispanic students form the largest group, followed by smaller shares of white, Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The school's location in a community heavily tied to a major military base means that some families may have connections to JBLM, though the data does not specify how many.

State assessment results from a single recent year provide the most complete picture of academic performance available. Across tested grades in math, the share of students meeting the state proficiency standard was below the middle of the range among Pierce County elementary schools. In English language arts, the proficiency results were also below the county midpoint. In fifth-grade science, the share of students scoring proficient was small. For each subject and grade level, a majority of students did not meet the state proficiency bar. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it addresses these academic challenges and what supports are in place. The data offers only a single year of results, so no trend can be established.

The school offers pre-kindergarten, which is a resource for families with young children. Because Four Heroes serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to consider. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates as a standard neighborhood elementary school within the district.

Housing in the area, based on estimates for the zip code, is priced below the statewide median. Rent is also below the state median, which may make the community more accessible to a range of households. The typical rent-to-income ratio suggests that renting is the more affordable option compared to buying in the current mortgage rate environment. The Clover Park School District did not have publicly reported recent changes like referendums or major curriculum shifts in the search results, so that context is missing.

For a parent or resident, Four Heroes is a large, diverse elementary school in a suburban military-adjacent community, serving a student population where a very high share of families face economic disadvantage. The academic performance on state tests is below average relative to the county, which is the central fact to weigh. The school does offer a pre-K program, and the community's housing costs are below the state average. Anyone considering the school should inquire about academic interventions, enrichment programs, and how the school supports students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 42% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 34% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 39% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · District 40% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 48% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 38% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

This schoolClover Park 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 4Lower-income34%Higher-income39%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income34%Higher-income64%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income55%36 pp gap