Griffin School, Olympia WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Griffin School

Griffin School is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, part of the Griffin School District in Olympia, Washington. Olympia is the state capital, a city shaped by state government, a recognized arts and music scene, and the presence of The Evergreen State College. The school sits within a residential part of the city, and Intercity Transit provides fare-free bus service across the Olympia area, including the Griffin neighborhood. The district itself appears to have no major recent changes publicly reported, so the school's daily operation has likely been stable.

Academically, Griffin School performs well by several measures. On state assessments across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency places it in the top quartile among districts in Thurston County. In English language arts, student proficiency rates are solid across most grade levels, with several grades showing rates that reach well above the majority mark. Math proficiency is more uneven. Some grades approach or exceed majority proficiency, while others fall somewhat below it. Science proficiency, tested in fifth and eighth grades, reaches a level that a parent might find encouraging. The available data represents a single year—the 2024-25 school year—so multi-year trends are not yet observable. Parents who want to understand whether these results are consistent from year to year should ask the school about prior performance.

The school has a sizable enrollment for a preK-8 institution, with students distributed across all grades from kindergarten through eighth. A relatively modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure commonly used to gauge economic need. The student body is predominantly white, with a visible share of students identifying as Hispanic and a smaller but present share of students identifying with two or more races. Representation of other racial and ethnic groups is very limited. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, which may simply reflect how the school reports its civil rights data. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and English learner programs, particularly if those services are important to their child.

Because Griffin School serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. That is expected for a middle school. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access was not available. For a school of this grade span, course access often refers to whether students have opportunities for advanced math, world languages, or electives; a parent should inquire with the school about what enrichment and acceleration options exist for middle school students.

The housing context in the Olympia area is shaped by the city’s role as the state capital. Home values and rents are near the state benchmark, reflecting a market that is not inexpensive but is less expensive than the Seattle area. The area has grown steadily, and state government remains the dominant employer. The school's own context—situated within a capital city with fare-free transit and a civic emphasis—offers families a setting with a range of cultural and recreational resources.

For a family considering Griffin School, the picture is one of a preK-8 regular public school with academic performance that stands out relative to other districts in the county. It serves a student population that is economically mixed, with moderate diversity by race and ethnicity. The school does not offer high school grades, so families will need to plan for a transition after eighth grade, likely to one of the high schools in the larger Olympia area. The lack of certain data points means that parents with specific concerns about special education, discipline, or range of course offerings should reach out to the school to fill those gaps.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolGriffin 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 3Lower-income52%Higher-income73%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income63%Higher-income81%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income70%28 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income59%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income83%43 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income67%Higher-income75%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income75%31 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income60%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income56%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income62%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income53%Higher-income69%17 pp gap