Lynden Academy, Lynden WA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lynden Academy

Lynden Academy is listed as an alternative school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade within the Lynden School District, a small district in the Nooksack Valley just south of the Canadian border. The city of Lynden has a strong agricultural base rooted in berry and dairy farming and a pronounced Dutch heritage visible in its downtown architecture and annual festivals. The school occupies a Main Street suite, fitting the traditional small-town pattern where schools and civic life are integrated rather than set apart on separate campuses.

The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and very small shares of other racial and ethnic groups. A very low share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the standard measure of economic disadvantage. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available. The enrollment is moderate school-wide, with somewhat larger classes in middle school and the high school grades.

State testing results from the most recent year provide the main picture of academic performance. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency varied notably by grade. Third, fourth, and fifth grade all landed around the midpoint of the state benchmark, with sixth and seventh grade slightly below and a stronger showing in eighth grade, where a solid majority of students scored proficient. Math results were lower across the board. The elementary grades saw a wide swing between third and fourth grade at a moderate level and fifth grade at a low level, with middle school grades all below the midpoint of the statewide proficiency mark. Science results, tested only at fifth and eighth grade, were roughly at the midpoint of the state benchmark. When averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index placed it above the midpoint among school districts in Whatcom County, meaning its testing profile is in the upper half of the local field.

Because the school includes high school grades, data on high school outcomes might be expected. However, a graduation rate was not reported, and the school’s alternative designation could be the reason that standard measure is absent. The same applies to chronic absenteeism; no data was available. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about its high school completion numbers and attendance patterns.

The district as a whole did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums, boundary shifts, or curriculum updates in the available research. The school's alternative status is the defining feature. That label can mean different things in different states and districts, but it often signals a focus on students who benefit from a smaller, less traditional setting. Given that the school covers the full kindergarten through twelfth grade span in one location, families should understand that the peer environment will include a very wide age range. The housing market in Lynden is moderately expensive relative to national benchmarks, with home values and rents both above the national median, reflecting the city’s proximity to Bellingham and the Canadian border.

For a family, Lynden Academy offers a small, alternative environment in a community with a distinct identity. The testing picture shows an English language arts profile that is mixed but with a strong eighth grade result, while math is clearly an area where the school’s results fall below typical state levels. Because the data is limited to a single year of test scores and lacks high school graduation and attendance information, a thorough look at the school’s actual programs, daily operations, and postsecondary outcomes would be necessary before deciding whether it fits a particular student’s needs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 56% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 54% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 37% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 41% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 31% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 30% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 51% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 54% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 56% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 55% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 47% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 48% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 42% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

This schoolLynden 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.