Briarwood Elementary, Renton WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Briarwood Elementary

Briarwood Elementary, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, is a regular public school in the Issaquah School District, located in the Renton, Washington area. For a parent or resident evaluating this school, the core picture is one of strong academic performance in an elementary setting, set within a community that is both industrially anchored and rapidly evolving.

Academically, Briarwood posts results that place it among the top tier of elementary schools in King County. State assessment data from the most recent school year shows a high rate of students meeting proficiency benchmarks in both English language arts and mathematics across the third, fourth, and fifth grades. Science proficiency among fifth graders is also strong. This pattern of high achievement across all tested subjects and grades is a clear strength; a family can expect a student body that is largely meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations.

The school serves a large enrollment for an elementary building, drawing its student body from a slice of Renton within the Issaquah School District’s boundaries. Demographically, the student population is diverse. The two largest racial groups are white students and Asian students, each comprising a substantial share of the enrollment, while a smaller but notable share of students identify as Hispanic. The rate of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is fairly modest, suggesting a school community with a generally higher range of economic circumstances. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English language learners was not available in the provided materials; a parent interested in these specific supports would want to verify them directly with the school.

The setting is Renton, an inner-ring suburb of Seattle with a character unlike a typical bedroom community. Its identity is shaped strongly by Boeing’s massive aircraft assembly plant on Lake Washington, alongside major offices for corporations like Paccar, Wizards of the Coast, and several large healthcare systems. This creates a local economy with a mix of industrial, tech, and professional jobs. Housing is expensive; home values and rents in the area are well above national averages, reflecting the broader King County market. Commuting patterns here are heavily car-dependent outside of a redeveloped downtown core, though transit options exist via Metro and Sound Transit buses, with a new bus rapid transit line planned.

A parent should be aware that Briarwood Elementary is a part of the Issaquah School District, not the Renton School District. The Issaquah district, which is the parent district here, recently proposed a large capital bond measure to fund school construction and renovations across its system, signaling attention to facility needs in a district that spans several communities. The district has also experienced enrollment fluctuations in recent years, which could affect class sizes and school capacity in the future. This means that while Briarwood itself is performing well, the broader district context includes efforts to manage growth and infrastructure demands. There was no disciplinary, staffing, or attendance data provided, so those dimensions cannot be evaluated here.

For a family that values a school with consistently strong test results and is comfortable with the high cost of housing in the Renton area, Briarwood checks the main box on academic performance. It is a school where the peer environment is academically strong. The main consideration is less about the school’s quality and more about fit: whether a family’s priorities align with a suburban location that is part of a larger, evolving city with a distinct industrial heritage, and within a district that is actively managing its growth. For any family needing data on special education services or English learner support, following up with the school office directly is the necessary next step.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 79% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 486%

School 86% · District 80% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 76% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 74% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 485%

School 85% · District 80% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 83%

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

Science

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 81% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

This schoolIssaquah 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-income67%Higher-income73%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income64%Higher-income88%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income86%41 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income69%Higher-income87%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income91%41 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income72%30 pp gap