The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in Math. The lowest is 27% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Madrona Elementary
Madrona Elementary is a regular public school in SeaTac serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Highline Public Schools. For a family looking at this school, the central reality is straightforward: it serves a high-poverty student population and its state test scores fall well below the typical range for elementary schools in King County.
The most direct evidence of academic performance comes from the Washington state Smarter Balanced assessments. In math, the share of third graders scoring proficient was roughly a third; in fifth grade the figure was a bit under four in ten. Fourth grade math results were suppressed for data reasons, so that single grade does not report. In English language arts, about a quarter of third graders and slightly more than a fifth of fourth graders met the proficiency bar, while fifth grade rose to a third of students. On the fifth grade science assessment, roughly three in ten students were proficient. When all tested grades and subjects are combined into a single proficiency index, Madrona Elementary sits in the bottom quartile among its King County peers. Only one year of assessment data was available, so no trend direction can be described. A parent will want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports are in place and how progress is being addressed.
The school’s enrollment reflects the community it serves. The student body is majority Hispanic, at more than half of all students. Black students are close to two in ten, and smaller shares of Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, white, two or more races, and American Indian or Alaska Native students are also represented. About eight in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a high rate that makes Madrona a high-poverty school and means many families live with significant economic pressure. Data on the share of students with individualized education plans or who are English learners was not available in the source material for this school, which is a gap a parent may want to fill by asking the school directly.
The school itself sits in SeaTac, a city shaped by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which sits entirely inside its boundaries. SeaTac is a mix of hotel strips, logistics centers, commercial corridors, and older residential neighborhoods like Angle Lake and Bow Lake. The city lacks a traditional downtown, though three Link light rail stations provide transit connections to Seattle and beyond. The area is auto-oriented, with wide arterials and airport infrastructure dominating the landscape. SeaTac has been growing at a steady rate and is designated a regional growth center. Home values in the zip code are substantial but well below the King County median; rents place a meaningful share of income on housing, and homeownership is a minority status, meaning many residents are renters.
Highline Public Schools, the district, has been actively modernizing and rebuilding several school buildings, including schools that affect feeder patterns in the area. The district has also expanded its menu of choice schools, including Innovation Heights Academy, Maritime High School, and virtual options. For Madrona Elementary families, these developments are more relevant for what happens after fifth grade than for the elementary experience itself.
For a family trying to decide whether Madrona Elementary could be the right fit, the academic numbers are the headline. Proficiency rates are low across the board compared with King County averages. A family would want to understand how the school is addressing literacy and math instruction, what interventions are offered for students who are behind, and what enrichment is available for students who are on grade level or ahead. The high share of students in poverty means the school likely faces concentrated challenges, and the district’s modernization program may mean some school facilities are in transition. A parent considering this school should tour, talk to the principal, and ask pointed questions about the school’s academic plan, because the raw numbers alone suggest a school where the typical student is not yet at grade level.
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