The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in Science. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Horizon Elementary School
Horizon Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Kent, part of the Kent School District, serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits in a large, economically diverse city that spreads across three distinct zones—West Hill, the Valley, and East Hill—and combines a major industrial and warehousing base with commuter neighborhoods tied to the Seattle metro. Kent’s downtown, anchored by the Kent Station shopping and transit hub, is a concentrated node of activity, but much of the city is car-dependent suburban residential development. Housing values in the zip code that includes Horizon run well above national averages, and rents are substantial, reflecting the broader King County market where median listing prices have dipped slightly in recent months but remain high. A mortgage on a typical home here requires an income well above the national median household income, making affordability a practical consideration for families.
Horizon’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school and draws from a diverse student body. White students make up the largest single group, followed by Asian students, then Hispanic and Black students, and smaller shares of multiracial and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A majority of students at the school qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating a higher-than-average share of households with lower incomes. Data on students served under individualized education programs and English learner status was not available in the profile, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about how special education and multilingual learner supports are staffed and delivered.
On state assessments administered in the 2024–25 school year, Horizon’s results show a pattern of uneven performance across grades and subjects. In third-grade English language arts, roughly two in five students met the proficiency standard, a rate that held steady in fifth grade but dipped to about one in three in fourth grade. In math, the third-grade cohort performed notably better, with roughly half of students proficient, while fourth and fifth grade math proficiency dropped to about one in three. Fifth-grade science results were similar to the school’s ELA average, with roughly two in five students proficient. Taken together, Horizon’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint among school districts in King County. This is a soft spot in the school’s academic profile. A parent considering Horizon may want to understand how the school identifies and supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks, particularly in upper elementary math and fourth-grade reading. Because this is the only year of test data available in the profile, there is no trend to evaluate; the school may be at the start of a new assessment cycle or experiencing shifts in its student population that affect scores.
The district that operates Horizon has been navigating significant changes. In 2023, voters approved a capital bond that funded a new middle school and safety upgrades across all campuses. Technology and enrichment levies also passed after earlier failures, providing per-student funding for classroom devices and extracurricular programs. More recently, in 2024 the school board voted to close two other elementary schools—Martin Sortun and Jenkins Creek—for the 2025–26 school year due to a budget shortfall driven by declining enrollment and inflation. Horizon itself is not affected by those closures. The district also moved to standards-based grading in elementary schools starting in 2023–24, replacing traditional letter grades with reports on progress against specific learning standards, which changes how families receive academic feedback. And a 2024 levy lid lift increased local property tax revenue for enrichment programs, a lasting financial commitment that voters will see on their tax bills.
Horizon is an elementary school with a racially and economically mixed student body in a large, fast-growing city where housing costs are high and the district is adjusting enrollment and programs to match declining numbers of students. The academic picture is one where early elementary math showed a bright spot but reading and upper elementary math are areas where proficiency sits at moderate to lower levels relative to the county. Families who value a strong support system for students not yet at benchmark, and who want to engage directly with the school about how those needs are addressed, may find Horizon a school worth a closer look. The surrounding community offers industrial anchors, transit connections, and ongoing development, but the cost of living is a real factor in choosing this part of Kent.
See more original research from School Decision →