Hazel Valley Elementary, Burien WA

Original Research by School Decision on Hazel Valley Elementary

Hazel Valley Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Burien, a diverse and walkable city just south of Seattle. The school is part of Highline Public Schools, a district undergoing a multi-year modernization program that has rebuilt several schools and launched new choice programs like Maritime High School and Innovation Heights Academy. For elementary families, these district-wide changes mean feeder patterns and school options are in active transition, which a parent may want to track as they plan ahead.

The student body reflects Burien’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity. A large share of students are Hispanic, and many other ethnicities are represented in smaller numbers. Over half of the students come from homes where a language other than English is spoken, and a substantial majority of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This economic-need profile is one of the highest in the area. The school has no magnet or charter status and operates as a regular neighborhood elementary school.

State testing results are available for math, English language arts, and science across grades three through five. Across these subjects, the share of students meeting proficiency is lower than the midpoint among King County’s many school districts, placing the school in the bottom quarter of that comparison set. Proficiency rates in math decline from grade three to grade five, and ELA rates hover around a similar range. Science results from grade five also fall below district and county medians. A parent considering this school will want to discuss with the staff how the school supports academic growth, especially given these outcomes. Since the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

The school’s environment is shaped by its location in a city that has grown rapidly and is designated by the Puget Sound Regional Council as a priority growth center. Home values and rents in Burien are high relative to national averages, and the housing market has been active, though the median listing price has dipped slightly from a year ago. The neighborhood around the school is residential, with nearby parks, a transit center, and a dense downtown core that includes a library, farmers market, and performing arts venue. The city’s walkability and street life are well regarded, and the community supports a lively calendar of cultural events.

Hazel Valley Elementary does not have publicly available data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access, which limits a fuller picture of daily school life. A family exploring this school should ask about these areas directly. The district’s ongoing modernization may affect facilities; some nearby elementary schools have moved to interim locations, so it is worth confirming the school’s building status.

This is a school that serves a high-needs population in a dynamic, growing city. The academic results are weak relative to the broader county, but the community context is one of diversity, urban energy, and district investment. A parent should weigh the reported proficiency data alongside their own visit and conversations with the school to understand how the school addresses the challenges it faces.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 37%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 425%

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

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 50% · ▼ 36 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 33% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 29% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 34% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 34% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 35 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-income16%Higher-income44%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income54%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income61%42 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income32%Higher-income65%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income61%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income46%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income9%Higher-income28%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income40%14 pp gap