The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Math. The lowest is 37% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hawthorne Elementary School
Hawthorne Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Kennewick School District, a regular public school in a mid-sized city that is the most populous of the Tri-Cities in southeastern Washington. The school’s academic performance picture is mixed, and a family considering it will want to weigh a clear strength in math against a softer spot in early literacy and science.
On state assessments from the most recent testing year, math proficiency was a consistent area of strength. Students across grades three, four, and five posted proficiency rates that were above the midpoint among districts in Benton County, and the school’s overall math attainment was notably higher than its English language arts results. English language arts scores, however, showed a steep gap between grade levels. Third graders had far lower proficiency than their fourth- and fifth-grade peers, who were at comparable levels to the school’s math results. This suggests that the primary grades, particularly in early reading and writing, are an area a parent would want to discuss directly with the school. Fifth-grade science results were lower still, a pattern worth noting given that science is tested at only that one grade level.
Because state testing data is available for only a single school year, there is no trend to show whether these results are stable, improving, or declining. That absence means a parent cannot yet gauge academic momentum from the state’s own numbers. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages across all tested subjects and grades, places it above the midpoint among Benton County districts a useful marker of relative standing. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Enrollment is large for an elementary school, with students distributed fairly evenly across kindergarten through fifth grade, though second grade is the largest cohort. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and White, with a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a measure of household economic need. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner supports was not available in the source materials; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these programs.
Kennewick is a growing city. It sits along the Columbia River and has a diversified economy that includes manufacturing, food processing, retail, and services, with offices for Amazon and Lamb Weston. The broader Tri-Cities area is described as the fastest growing in Washington State, and the city’s population has risen steadily in recent years. Housing in the school’s ZIP code costs moderately less than the statewide median, and rents are broadly in line with national benchmarks, though the combination of mortgage rates and home prices means homeownership is a stretch for a typical local income. The Kennewick School District relies on local bond and levy measures voted on by residents to fund new buildings and major capital projects, as well as ongoing programs and operations; a Facility Study Committee weighs enrollment growth projections when recommending capital projects.
The school environment and access section contained no data on discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance, so the full picture of student support and school climate is incomplete from the available numbers. A parent visiting the school would do well to ask about class sizes, teacher stability, and how the school supports students who are behind in reading by third grade.
Hawthorne Elementary offers a math program that is a clear academic draw, but its literacy and science scores are uneven, and the lack of trend data makes it hard to know whether these gaps are narrowing or widening. Families who place a high priority on early reading development will want to get a detailed account of the school’s intervention strategies before enrolling.
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