The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Elmhurst Elementary School
Elmhurst Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Franklin Pierce School District, located in the Parkland area of Tacoma. The school sits in a residential pocket of the city’s southeast side, an area that blends single-family homes with light commercial strips along Pacific Avenue and 112th Street. Families here are part of a mid-sized urban setting: Tacoma itself is a port city with a working waterfront, a growing arts and dining scene, and the county seat of Pierce County. The school’s immediate neighborhood is quieter than the downtown core, with typical suburban strip malls and a mix of older and newer housing stock.
Housing in the ZIP code around Elmhurst has a typical home value that falls between the national median and Washington state’s higher benchmark, though the local market has seen a slight dip in values recently. Rent is also moderate relative to the area. For a family considering this school, the housing market offers a middle-ground option within Tacoma’s broader affordability spectrum, though the city’s homeownership rate is below the national average and rental costs have been rising along with development activity tied to the city’s “Home in Tacoma” initiative.
Academically, state testing data from the most recent school year provides the clearest picture of where Elmhurst stands. In English language arts, proficiency rates climbed by grade level, with the lowest share of students meeting the bar in third grade and the highest in fifth grade. The pattern was similar in math, where fifth graders outperformed their younger peers by a noticeable margin. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a rate that aligns with the lower end of the range seen in the school’s other subjects. Over all tested grades and subjects combined, Elmhurst’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts across Pierce County. This is a straightforward signal for parents: the school is working from a lower academic baseline compared to many of its neighbors. There is no multi-year trend data to show whether scores are moving up or down, because only one year of testing data was provided.
The student body is diverse in composition. White students are the largest single group, followed by students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic students, Black students, and smaller shares of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a higher-poverty context and suggests that many families face economic challenges that can affect school readiness and access to enrichment outside school. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent who wants to understand special education or language support offerings should ask the school directly.
The school is a regular, non-charter elementary with no magnet designation. The district, Franklin Pierce School District, did not have recent major changes publicly reported that would alter the day-to-day experience for an incoming family. That stability may be welcome, but it also means a parent looking for signs of new programs or strategic shifts will have to seek that information from the district office or school principal.
For a family weighing this school, the core question is fit. Elmhurst serves a high-poverty, diverse population in a lower-performing academic context compared to other Pierce County schools. A family that values walking into a school that mirrors the broader demographic mix of the region may find that appealing. A family focused on high test scores will want to look deeper into whether the school offers targeted interventions, tutoring, or enrichment that could raise individual student outcomes beyond the aggregate numbers. The housing in the surrounding area is moderately priced by regional standards, and Tacoma’s development momentum means the neighborhood could see change over time. The school itself has no standout program offerings or magnets to differentiate it from other Franklin Pierce elementaries, so the decision may come down to proximity, the classroom environment a family experiences on a visit, and how the school’s support systems match a child’s particular needs.
See more original research from School Decision →