Cedarhurst Elementary, Burien WA

Original Research by School Decision on Cedarhurst Elementary

Cedarhurst Elementary is a regular public school in Burien, Washington, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Highline School District, a system that has been actively investing in facilities and expanding school choice options for families. Cedarhurst itself sits within Burien, a community that combines residential neighborhoods with a concentrated downtown core. The city is diverse, with a substantial Latino population and many languages spoken in student homes, and it has been designated a regional growth center, meaning new development and population increases are expected. The housing market in the surrounding area is expensive by national standards, and the cost of renting is also high, making homeownership a significant stretch for many households.

The student body at Cedarhurst reflects the diversity of the broader community. A majority of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. The largest group of students identifies as Hispanic, followed by smaller but notable populations of Asian students, white students, multiracial students, Black students, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available in this profile.

On state assessments for the school year that ended in 2025, student proficiency rates in both English language arts and math fell below the midpoint when compared to all schools in King County. In English language arts, the combined proficiency rate across tested grades was below the county median, and in math the combined rate was also below the county median. Fifth-grade science results followed a similar pattern, with a proficiency rate below what is typical across the county. The composite proficiency index, which averages all tested subjects and grades, placed Cedarhurst in the bottom quarter of elementary schools across King County districts. These are the only state test results available for the school, so there is no trend data to show whether performance is improving or declining over time.

Because Cedarhurst serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not have a high school program, so measures like graduation rate or college readiness simply do not apply here. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism was not available for this school.

The broader district context may matter for families considering Cedarhurst. Highline Public Schools has been working on a multi-year school modernization program, meaning that some schools in the district are operating from interim locations while buildings are rebuilt or relocated. The district has also been expanding its choice school options at the secondary level, including a new Innovation Heights Academy and a maritime-focused high school, which could give Cedarhurst families specialized pathways when their children move to middle and high school. However, the district's strategic priorities beyond these facilities and programs were not detailed in the available research, so this picture is incomplete.

For a parent or resident, Cedarhurst offers an elementary school in a growing, diverse, and walkable city with a strong sense of community. The school itself has a high proportion of students from low-income households, and its state assessment results are below the county average. A family moving to the area should weigh the school's academic performance against its supportive community context and the broader district investments that may shape their child's educational path in later years.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 37% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 28% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 50% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 33% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 29% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 34% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 34% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

This schoolHighline 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-income28%Higher-income53%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income16%Higher-income19%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income27%6 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income60%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income65%33 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income38%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income25%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income24%Higher-income50%26 pp gap