The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Math. The lowest is 62% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lake Tapps Elementary
Lake Tapps Elementary serves only first through third grades in the Dieringer School District, a small primary school that feeds into higher grades elsewhere. Because it stops at third grade, no graduation rate or high school measures apply, and state testing results come from a single grade level. That narrow band makes the school’s academic snapshot simple: one year of scores from third graders on Washington’s SBAC assessments.
In math, a substantial majority of third graders met the proficiency standard. In English language arts, well over half did as well. When gauged against the full set of elementary schools across Pierce County, the school’s overall proficiency index lands in the top quarter of all districts in the county, a position well above the middle. This suggests that for the early primary years, the academic foundation is strong relative to the broader region. There is only one year of data reported here, so a trend line cannot be drawn, but the single point is a solid starting place.
The student body is majority white, with Asian students and those identifying as two or more races each forming roughly one-tenth of enrollment, followed by a smaller share of Hispanic students and an even smaller share of Black students. Just under a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of economic need that is comparatively low for the county. Data on special education and English learner populations was not reported in the available records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Lake Tapps Elementary sits within the residential lake community of Lake Tapps, an unincorporated census-designated place built around a reservoir. The area is car-dependent, with no traditional downtown and limited public shoreline access. Homes are predominantly single-family, many lakefront or near-lake, and the housing stock carries a price tag well above national averages. Rent is also high relative to local incomes, reflecting a market that can be a stretch for many households. The community is growing, and the nearest commercial and civic services are in adjacent Bonney Lake and Auburn.
The Dieringer School District, which runs Lake Tapps Elementary, recently put two funding measures before voters. A capital projects and technology levy passed, securing money for safety upgrades, tech infrastructure, and other improvements over the next several years. A larger construction bond that would have replaced and modernized the district’s oldest elementary building and added classroom space at the middle school fell short of the required supermajority. The district has left open the possibility of bringing a revised bond proposal back, so facility capacity and modernization remain unresolved for now. Families moving into the area should be aware that some school buildings may age into replacement needs without a clear timeline.
For a family looking at this school, the picture is a positive one for early academics, set in a growing suburban lake community with elevated housing costs. The absence of data on special education and English learner services is a gap worth checking, but the available performance data suggests a school that is delivering strong foundational instruction in its grade span. The wider district context includes a recently approved levy and an unresolved bond, so infrastructure conversations are ongoing.
See more original research from School Decision →