The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in English language arts. The lowest is 83% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Benjamin Franklin Elementary
A public elementary school in Kirkland serving kindergarten through fifth grade, Benjamin Franklin Elementary is one of the schools in the Lake Washington School District. A family considering this school should understand that the academic picture is one of very strong performance, while the surrounding community reflects a high-cost, high-demand suburban market with a distinct character.
The school sits in a compact, dense suburb on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, roughly across the lake from Seattle. The city has a downtown waterfront with restaurants, galleries, a performing arts center, public parks, and beaches, all set against a backdrop of condominiums and apartments built largely since the 1990s. The area has seen substantial population growth, in part due to a major annexation that absorbed several neighborhoods. Major employers include a large healthcare system, Google, and the school district itself. The housing market carries a very high price tag, with home values and rents well above national benchmarks, reflecting the broader King County market that commands a premium for its proximity to the Seattle-area tech economy. For a family renting or buying, this is an expensive area. The streetscape is actively pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly by design: the city was the first in Washington to adopt a Complete Streets ordinance and has a rail-trail, the Cross Kirkland Corridor, that bisects the city.
Academically, the school posts results that place it solidly above the field. On state assessments for the 2024-25 school year, the proficiency levels across all tested grades in both English language arts and mathematics were consistently high, and elementary science results were similarly strong. When measured against all other districts in King County, the school’s overall proficiency sits in the top quartile. These are strong numbers for a family that wants to see evidence of solid academic foundations in elementary grades. Because the school serves only kindergarten through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, as that metric does not apply.
The student body is relatively small for an elementary school, and it has a distinctive demographic profile. A very large share of students are Asian, with a smaller share identifying as two or more races, and a minority of students are white. The shares of Black and Hispanic students are small by comparison. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school’s population skews toward a higher-income range even by the standards of this affluent area. Data on the number of students with disabilities or those classified as English learners was not available, so a parent looking for information on special education or language support programs would need to contact the school directly. Title I status, which signals federal funding for high-poverty schools, was not reported; given the low share of students qualifying for meal assistance, it is likely that the school does not receive those funds.
The district itself appears to be a period of stability. A search for recent district-level changes such as referendums, curriculum changes, or property tax shifts did not turn up anything of lasting impact to report. For a family, this often means the main factors to weigh are the individual school’s daily character and the surrounding community rather than upheaval in district policy.
The fit here is for a family that can absorb the high cost of housing in this part of the Eastside and that values the very strong academic proficiency the school shows in its state test results. The setting is a dense, walkable suburb with waterfront access and a clear technology-sector employment base. The student body has a distinct composition that leans heavily Asian and includes a small share of students from lower-income backgrounds. A family considering this school should feel confident in the academic foundation it provides through fifth grade.
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